THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


#• 


WITH  FLY -Ron  AND  CAMERA 


WITH  FLY-ROD  AND  CAMERA 


BY 


EDWARD    A.    SAMUELS 


PRESIDENT    OF    THE    MASSACHUSETTS    FISH    AND    GAME    PROTECTIVE    ASSOCIATION, 
AUTHOR    OF   "THE    ORNITHOLOGY   AND    OOLOGY    OF    NEW   ENGLAND    AND 
ADJACENT   STATES   AND   PROVINCES,"   "AMONG   THE   HIRDS,"   ASSO- 
CIATE    EDITOR     OF     "THE    LIVING    WORLD,"    ETC.,     ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED    WITH    ONE    HUNDRED    AND    FIFTY    PLATES, 
FROM    PHOTOGRAPHS    BY    THE    AUTHOR. 


NEW    YORK 

FOREST    AND    STREAM    PUBLISHING     CO. 
1890 


COPYRIGHT,    1890. 
FOREST  AND  STREAM  PUBLISHING  Co. 


Respectfully   Dedicated 
to   the 

Massachusetts  FisJi  and  Game  Protective  Association. 


M363262 


PREFACE. 


TN  THE  preparation  of  this  book  I  have  made  no  ef- 
•*-  fort  to  write  a  technical  work,  but  have  aimed  rather 
to  produce  a  volume  which  would,  by  the  descriptions 
given  of  the  haunts  and  habits  of  a  few  of  our  game 
fish,  and  of  the  incidents  and  methods  of  their  capture, 
not  only  entertain  and  please  my  brother  anglers,  but 
instil  in  the  minds  of  those  who  have  not  yet  acquired 
"the  gentle  art,"  a  desire  to  taste  the  pure  and  healthful 
pleasures  which  it  affords. 

I  know  of  no  other  pastime  or  field  sport,  a  love 
of  which  once  acquired,  that  gives  such  lasting  and  per- 
fect enjoyment  as  fly-fishing,  and  I  earnestly  hope  that 
a  perusal  of  these  pages  will  do  something  toward  guid- 
ing the  attention  of  our  young  men  and  women  in  its 
direction. 

In  connection  with  the  pleasure  to  be  derived  from 
the  fly-rod,  the  angler  now  has  an  accessory  in  his  out- 
ings which  will  add  vastly  to  his  enjoyment,  both  in  the 
present  and  years  to  come.  I  refer  to  the  camera. 


viii  Preface. 

For  many  years  I  have  worked  with  the  wet  plate 
method,  but  that,  of  course,  is  unwieldy,  cumbrous,  and 
requires  such  an  outfit  that  for  distant  field  work  it  is 
well  nigh  impracticable. 

But  within  a  few  years  the  dry  plate  process  has 
been  perfected  to  such  a  marvelous  degree  that  one  can 
now  take  his  camera  and  dry  plates,  or  sensitized  paper, 
or  celluloid  rolls,  and  can  save  for  future  enjoyment  a 
picture  of  every  delightful  thing  that  meets  his  vision. 
I  have  for  several  years  carried  my  camera  with  me  over 
wild  and  rugged  mountains,  through  many  miles  of  almost 
unbroken  wilderness,  down  the  rapids  of  rushing  streams 
and  across  wide  stretches  of  lakes  in  my  frail  canoe,  and 
have  a  treasury  of  pictures  that  will  hereafter  prove  of 
the  greatest  delight  and  comfort  to  me.  And  it  is  my 
great  regret  that  I  did  not  possess  such  a  photographic 
outfit  thirty  years  ago  as  I  at  present  have.  If  I  could 
have  saved  photographs  of  all  the  wonderful  scenes  and 
incidents  through  which  I  have  passed,  and  many  of 
which  are  now  lost  even  to  the  vision  of  memory,  the 
collection  would  have  been  priceless.  The  angler  and 
tourist,  young  and  old,  if  he  takes  my  most  earnest 
advice,  will  procure  a  photographic  outfit,  and  preserve 
for  his  comfort  in  old  age  the  pictured  record  of  his 
delightful  outings  by  "  flood  and  field." 


Preface.  ix 

As  an  example  of  what  may  be  done,  I  offer  the 
illustrations  in  this  volume,  which  have  been  reproduced 
from  some  of  the  photographs  in  my  collection,  the  nega- 
tives of  most  of  which  I  made  myself.  Most  of  the  re- 
productions are  satisfactory  in  the  highest  degree ;  others 
are  not  quite  so  perfect.  Of  course  the  instantaneous 
exposures,  marked  (Inst.)  on  the  plates,  which  were  ne- 
cessarily made  when  moving  objects  were  photographed, 
do  not  give  that  completeness  of  detail  that  timed  ones 
do,  but  the  average  given  is,  I  think,  a  good  one. 

While  most  of  the  illustrations  are  from  photographs 
made  by  myself,  my  grateful  acknowledgments  are  due 
to  Dr.  S.  J.  Mixter  of  Boston,  Robert  L.  P.  Masson  of 
Providence,  R.  I.;  Dr.  C.  A.  Kingsbury  of  Philadelphia, 
Pa.;  Dr.  M.  A.  Morris  of  Charlestown,  Mass.,  and  others, 
for  the  gift  or  loan  of  many  of  the  most  attractive  of 
the  photographs  that  I  have  reproduced. 

The  descriptions  of  fish  and  their  habits,  that  I  have 
given,  have  been  purposely  veiled  by  dialogue  and  nar- 
rative, in  order  that  untechnical  readers  may  not  be 
wearied  by  a  perusal  of  matter  which  ordinarily  has  for 
them  but  little  attraction. 

Brother  anglers,  when  you  read  my  book,  I  hope 
you  will  bear  with  me  if  my  accounts  of  the  pleasures 
we  enjoy  lack  the  poetry  and  magic  eloquence  which 


x  Preface. 

others  could  have  given  them  ;  remember  that  the  book 
is  not  a  pretentious  one,  but  is  rather  an  unassuming 
and  humble  companion  to  others  that  have  better  shown 
in  sweeter  and  more  symmetrical  lines  the  delights  and 
charms  of  the  angler's  life,  which,  "  Exempt  from  public 
haunt,  finds  tongues  in  trees,  books  in  the  running  brooks, 
sermons  in  stones,  and  good  in  everything." 

EDWARD   A.    SAMUELS. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I., 


OUR  FIRST  NIGHT  ON  THK  RIVER.  •  How  TO  SEK  A  SALMON  IN  A 
DEEP  POOL.  •  SPEARING  AND  GILL-NETTING  DISCUSSED  AND  CON- 
DEMNED. •  CAPE  BRETON  SALMON  SPEARING.  •  HARD  LUCK. 
THE  BOY  TOLD  A  STRAIGHT  STORY.  •  DESTRUCTION  CAUSED  BY 
SEINING.  •  A  STARTLING  SPLASH  IN  THE  POOL.  •  FLY-FISHING 
BY  MOONLIGHT  FOR  TROUT  AND  SALMON.  •  THE  DELIGHTS  OF 
ANGLING.  •  THE  DIFFERENCE  BETWEEN  THE  TRUE  SPORTSMAN  AND 
THE  FISH  KILLER.  •  THE  MIRAMICHI  AND  ITS  TRIBUTARIES. 
SOME  FISHERY  STATISTICS.  •  CHANGES  IN  THE  LIFE  OF  THE  SAL- 
MON. •  DID  YOU  EVER  SEE  A  FEMALE  GRILSE?  •  How  TO  DRAG 
A  SALMON  FLY.  •  FAVORITE  FLIES.  •  HABITS  OF  THE  SALMON. 
KELTS  ARE  UNFIT  FOR  FOOD. 


CHAPTER    II., 


AN 


EARLY   CAST. 
OUGHLY.      •     A 


SILVER   DOCTORS. 
BIG    SEA    TROUT. 


COVER  THE  WATER   THOR- 
LIVELY    TIMES.      •      How    TO 


COOK    A    TROUT. 
HOOKED  AND  LOST.' 
ON   THE    MAGALLOWA 
DRIFT   TREE   TOP. 
GREAT  STRUGGLE. 
THE    FIFTH     POOL. 
A   MAN   WHO   WANTED 


AN    ADMIRABLE    CAST.     •     ANOTHER    SALMON 
"FLY  P'ISON"  IN  DEMAND.     •     BLACK  FLIES 
A    ROUGH    EXPERIENCE.      •     PLAYING   A 
Two  FISH  HOOKED  AND  BOTH  SAVED.     •     A 
THE  CUP  THAT  CHEERS.     •     WE  ASCEND  TO 
QUEER    CHARACTERS    WHO    Go    A-FISHING. 
THE    EARTH.      •      JEALOUSY.      •     LAKE    AND 


SPOTTED  OR  BROOK  TROUT  COMPARED.  •  KILLING  A  TOGUE  ON  THE 
FLY.  •  SCHOODIC  FISHING  IN  OLD  TIMES.  •  PICTURESQUE  SEA 
COAST  OF  MAINE.  •  LAND-LOCKED  SALMON.  •  DUCKS  IN  ABUND- 
ANCE. •  A  LIVELY  FISH.  •  HOOKING  A  PAIR  OF  LAND-LOCKS. 
TROLLING  FOR  SALMON.  •  PICKEREL  FISHING.  •  How  TO  MAKE 
A  BARK  CAMP.  -  "  FISH  KILLERS."  •  INDIAN  TRADITIONS.  •  A 
PLENTY  OF  LAND-LOCKS  LEFT. 


PAGE 
21 


xii  Contents. 

PAGE 

CHAPTER    III.,  -     197 

A  BRIGHT  MORNING.  •  NOTIONS  ABOUT  FLIES.  •  A  NUISANCE  OF  SEA 
TROUT.  •  ANOTHER  SALMON  HOOKED.  •  SPLENDID  PLAY.  •  DISMAY. 
"CONFOUND  THE  DRIFT  WOOD!"  •  PHILOSOPHERS.  •  KILLING  THE 
FlSH  NOT  ALL  THERE  IS  OF  FlSHING.  •  KINGFISHERS  AND  SHEL- 
DRAKES AS  PESTS  ON  A  SALMON  OR  TROUT  RIVER.  •  IT'S  A  WONDER 

WE  HAVE  ANY  SALMON  LEFT.   •   A  SALMON  THAT  HAS  LONG  BEEN 

IN  THE  RIVER  is  SHY  OF  THE  FLY.  •  THE  PHANTOM  MINNOW  USED 
IN  TROLLING  FOR  SALMON.  •  A  STRANGE  LOT  OF  FISH.  •  AGGRA- 
VATING SALMON.  •  EXCITING  TIMES.  •  WORMS  AS  BAIT  FOR 
SALMON.  •  A  STRONG  FISH,  AND  A  CONTEST  LONG  TO  BE  REMEM- 
BERED. •  A  BAD  MESS.  •  RETRIBUTION.  •  RISING  TO  THE  FLY 
IN  STILL  WATER.  •  AN  EXCITING  STRUGGLE.  •  VICTORY.  •  FISH 
IN  ABUNDANCE.  •  OUR  PERMANENT  CAMP.  •  SUCH  LUCK  AS  AN 
AMATEUR  SOMF.TIMES  HAS.  •  SALMON  THAT  PLAYED  ME.  •  FISHER- 
MAN'S LUCK. 

CHAPTER    IV.,  250 

A  CHOICE  OK  ROUTES  TO  CAPE  BRETON.  •  PORT  MULGRAVE  AND  THE 
GUT  OF  CANSO.  •  ST.  PETER'S  CANAL.  •  THE  BEAUTIFUL  BRAS 
D'OR.  •  ALL  ABOUT  SYDNEY  AND  COAL.  •  THE  SUCCESS  OF  THE 
SYDNEY  FISH  HATCHERY.  •  STATISTICS  OF  CAPE  BRETON  SALMON 
BREEDING.  •  POOR  OLD  LOUISBOURG.  •  BADDF.CK.  •  A  DELIGHT- 
FUL TRIP  TO  THE  MARGAREE.  •  EDUCATED  TROUT.  •  SUCCESS 
IN  USING  A  "GRAY  MOUSE."  •  NORTHEAST  MARGAREK.  •  ABUND- 
ANCE OF  SEA  TROUT.  •  THE  FISHING  STATION  OF  CHETTICAMP. 
WORK  OF  THE  FISH  COMMISSIONERS  AT  NORTHEAST  MARGAREE. 
TAKING  AND  HANDLING  SALMON  EGGS.  •  PICTURESQUE  SCENERY 
ON  THE  MARGAREE.  •  LAKE  AINSLEE.  •  A  CELEBRATED  POOL. 
OUTWITTING  EDUCATED  FISH.  •  WHYKOKOMAGH.  •  A  MOST  EN- 
JOYABLE SAIL.  •  ABUNDANCE  AND  VARIETY  OF  BIRD  LIFE  ON  CAPE 
BRETON. 

CHAPTER   V.,  300 

A  HEAVY  RAIN.  •  SOUNDS  OF  THE  NIGHT.  •  FLY-FISHING  SOMETIMES 
GOOD  IN  A  STORM.  •  A  GREAT  CATCH.  •  TROUT,  DUCKS  ANO 
GREBES  EXTERMINATED  BY  PICKEREL.  •  OZONE.  •  ANOTHER  SAL- 
MON HOOKED.  •  HOPES  AND  FEARS.  •  DISAPPOINTMENT.  •  HIRAM 
AS  A  FLY-CASTER.  •  MORE  ABOUT  FAVORITE  FLIES.  •  A  HAND- 
SOME TRIO.  •  HOOKED  AND  SAVED.  •  FRERE  GETS  ANOTHERFISH. 
How  THE  COUNTRY  BOY  ANGLES  FOR  A  SALMON.  •  A  SQUIRREL 
SKIN  FLY.  •  A  GREAT  CATCH.  •  THE  JACQUET  RIVER  IN  NEW 


Contents.  xiii 

PACK 

CHAPTER    V.  (Continued)  300 

BRUNSWICK.  •  BARCLAY'S  HOTEL  AND  THE  BEACH  ON  THE  BAIE  DBS 
CHALEURS.  •  GOOD  SPORT  IN  PROSPECT.  •  A  SUMMONS  FROM  HIRAM. 
EXCITEMENT.  •  A  LONG  STRUGGLE.  •  CONGRATULATIONS.  •  A 
PRETTY  STRING  OF  SEA  TROUT.  •  FRKRE  ALSO  HAS  GOOD  SUCCESS. 
SENDING  OUT  FISH  TO  FRIENDS.  •  TROUT  FISHING  AT  THE  RANGE- 
LEYS.  •  GREAT  SPORT  WITH  LIGHT  TACKLE.  •  HATCHING  SALMON 
ARTIFICIALLY  A  GREAT  SUCCESS.  •  THE  OPERATIONS  AT  DIFFERENT 
HATCHERIES.  -  WEIR  OWNERS  GET  THE  CREAM.  •  OUR  ANGLERS 
THE  FIRST  TO  URGE  THE  ARTIFICIAL  STOCKING  OF  RIVERS  AND  LAKES. 
STATISTICS  OF  SALMON  FISHERIES.  •  POACHERS  GROWING  MORE 
RECKLESS.  •  SURFACE  FISHING  CANNOT  EXTERMINATE  THE  FISH. 
HABITS  OF  THE  SALMON.  •  CONJECTURES  CONCERNING  THE  IDENTITY 
OF  THE  SEA  TROUT.  •  ALL  ABOUT  LAKES  EDWARD  AND  ST.  JOHN. 
THE  HOME  OF  THE  WINNINISH.  •  GREAT  RIVERS  IN  THE  NORTH. 
Is  THE  WINNINISH  A  LAND-LOCKED  SALMON?  •  DIMENSIONS  AND 
WEIGHT  OF  SCHOODIC  SALMON. 

CHAPTER    VI.,      -  -     406 

THE  LAST  DAY  IN  CAMP.  •  SPAWNING  HABITS  OF  THE  SALMON. 
SALMON  RUNS.  •  THE  SEA  TROUT,  ITS  GAMENESS,  ITS  IDENTITY. 
THE  WINNINISH.  •  LAKE  EDWARD.  •  LAKE  ST.  JOHN  AND  ITS 
FISHING.  •  THE  PERIBONCA  AND  THE  ASHUAPMOUCHOUAN  RIVERS. 
THE  LAND  -  LOCKED  SALMON. 

CHAPTER    VII.,   •  438 

THE  MORNING  OF  OUR  LAST  DAY  ON  THE  RIVER.  •  A  RISE  IN  THE 
RIVER.  •  LONG  CASTS.  •  EXCELLENCE  OF  THE  SPLIT-BAMBOO  ROD. 
ABOUT  FLY-CASTING  TOURNAMENTS.  -  EXCITEMENT  IN  RUNNING 
RAPIDS.  •  A  RISE.  •  AN  EXCITING  STRUGGLE.  •  A  STUBBORN 
SALMON.  •  LANDED  IN  A  NOVEL  MANNER.  •  GREAT  SPORT. 
CHARMS  ATTENDING  THE  ANGLER'S  LIFE.  •  BEAUTIFUL  THOUGHTS 
ON  ANGLING  BY  DIFFERENT  AUTHORS.  •  RETROSPECTIVE  ANGLING. 
AT  THE  THIRD  POOL  AGAIN.  •  A  NARROW  ESCAPE  FROM  AN  ACCI- 
DENT. •  A  SOUVENIR.  •  FRERE  RISES  A  GOOD  FISH.  •  A  GRAND 
BATTLE.  •  TRIUMPH.  •  GIVE  THE  GUIDES  A  CHANCE.  HIRAM 

RISES  A  SALMON  AND  LANDS  IT  AFTER  A  SHORT  STRUGGLE.  •  NO- 
TIONAL PEOPLE  ARE  GUIDES.  •  WILLIAM  HAS  HIS  INNING  ALSO. 
VALEDICTORY. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

VIEW   OK   THE   LITTLE   SAGUENAY    RIVER,    P.  <<>.,        -  Frontispiece, 

THE   THIRD    POOL,  .        23 

SALMON,                                                                              _     '  -              27 

TIME    EOR    THE    LANDING    NET    (fust.),       -                          -  -         31 

RESTING   A   POOL,                                                                             .  35 

THE   GUIDES   ARE    READY,    THE   SPORTSMAN,    WHERE   is    HE?  -         39 

IN   CAMP,  45 

Mic-MAC   CAMP,  .        49 

THERE'S   NOTHING    LIKE    IT,  .                            55 

LADY    MACDONALD   CASTING   THE    FLY   (Inst.),  -            .        57 

AN   EMBRYO   ANGLER   (Inst.),  61 

ISN'T   SHE   A    BEAUTY  !  .            .        65 

A   DARK-COLORED   SEA    TROUT,  67 

BEAUTIES,         -  yr 

Mic-MAC   INDIANS   BUILDING   A    BIRCH   CANOE   (Inst.),  75 

PORTAGING   A   CANOE   (Inst.),  .        -7 

DIFFERENCE   BETWEEN  A  FRESH-RUN  SALMON  AND  A  "SLINK"  OR  "KELT,"  79 

As    NICE   A   SEA   TROUT  AS   You    EVER   WILL  TAKE,    -  -           -        87 

ALL   READY,    SIR,  93 

CASTING  .FROM   A   CANOE   (fnst.),  97 

JOHN    DANFORTH'S   CAMP   ON    LAKE    PARMACHENE,    ME.,      -  101 

A   CAMP   SCENE   (Inst.),  -       105 

GRAND    FALLS   AND   POOL   ON   THE   NEPLSIGUIT    RIVER,    N.   1!.,  109 
PABINEAU  FALLS  ON  THE  NEPISIGUIT  RIVER.     LOOKING  UP  STREAM   (Inst.)    -      m 


xvi  Illustrations. 

PAGE 

PABINEAU    FALLS.      LOOKING   DOWN   STKKAM,  113 

A   SNAP  SHOT  AT   MIC-MACS   (/«.»•/.),  117 

IN   A   Mic-MAC   LODGE.      SMALL    MIC-MAC   TAKING   A   SIESTA,       -  121 

VIEW   ON   THE    MATAPEDIA   RIVER,    P.  O.      XEAR   THE   UPSALOUITCH,  -       125 
VIEW   OF   THE   MATAPEDIA   VALLKY,    LOOKING   UP  TIIK   STREAM   ACROSS   THE 

RESTIGOUCHE   RIVER,    X.   B.,  127 
VALLEY  OF  THE  RESTIGOUCHE  RIVER,   N.   !>.,  LOOKING  DOWN  THE  STREAM  — 

SUGAR  LOAF  MOUNTAINS  IN  THE  DISTANCE,  -  131 
A  BASS  RELIEVO,  133 
A  LAKE  TROUT,  137 
A  RANGELEY  TROUT.  NOT  HANDSOME,  BUT  IT  WEIGHED  II^LHS.,  -  141 
IT'S  A  Ciooi)  ONE,  145 
PIONEER  STEAMER  ON  THE  SCHOODIC  LAKES,  ME.,  149 
FALLS  ON  A  TRIBUTARY  OF  THE  CASCAPEDIA  RIVER,  P.  Q.,  -  151 
VIEW  ON  THE  CASCAPEDIA  RIVER,  -  153 
SALMON  FALLS  ON  THE  CASCAPEDIA  RIVER,  -  155 
THIRTY-FIVE  SALMON  TAKEN  BY  FOUR  RODS  IN  THREE  DAYS  ON  THE  CAS- 
CAPEDIA RIVER,  159 
LORD  STANLEY'S  FISHING  COTTAGE  ON  THE  CASCAPEDIA  RIVER,  -  -  163 
LORNE'S  FISHING  COTTAGE  ON  THE  CASCAPEDIA  RIVER,  -  167 
GOOD  MORNING.  CAMP  OK  GUIDES  TO  A  SALMON  FISHING  PARTY,  -  -  173 
A  ROUGH  CAMP,  INDEED,  iSi 
A  LOVELY  SPOT  FOR  A  CAST  (Just.),  -  187 
A  LARGE  FISH  FOR  A  LIGHT  ROD,  -  199 
CASTING  THE  FLY,  209 
JUST  Ur,  -  215 
A  LONG  CAST  (hist.),  -  -  219 
LANDING  A  SALMON  (Inst.),  -  225 
BIG  ROCK  POOL,  ....  227 
THE  LOWER  POOL,  ...  229 
THE  UPPER  POOL  (Inst.),  .  233 
FAMOUS  SALMON  POOL  ON  THE  MARGAKKF.  RIVER,  CAPE  BRETON,  239 
VIEW  OF  THE  UPPER  MARGAREE,  CAPE  BRETON,  -  243 


Illustrations.  xvii 

PACK 

OLD   MILL   NEAR   PORT    MULGRAVE,    X.   S.,     -  -  245 

CAPE   BRETON   TEAM   AND   TKAMSTKR    (lust.},         .....  047 

LEAVING    PORT    MULGRAVE,  (lust,   from    Moving    Steamer),      -  -  249 

VIEW    OK    THE    STRATI-    OK   CANSO    FROM    PORT    MUI.GRAYK,    X.   S.,        -  251 

PORT    HAWKSWRY,    CAPE   BRETON,        -  -  253 

STEAMER  MARION  ENTERING  THK  FIRST  LOCKS  ON  ST.   PETER'S  CANAL  (hist.),  255 

PASSIM;    THROUGH    ST.    PETER'S    CANAL    (Inst.  from  Moving  Steamer),        -  257 

BRAS    D'OR    END    OK    ST.    PETER'S    CANAI.    (lust,  from  Moving  Steamer},          .  259 

VIEW    OK   SYDNEY,    CAPE   BRETON,    FROM   CEMETERY    IIn.i.,  261 

LONG    PIER    AT   SYDNEY,        -  ....  .  263 

AM,   THERE    is    LEKT   OK    POOR   OLD   LOUISBOURG,     -  -  -  265 

MAIN   STREET    <>K    BADDECK,    CAPE    BRETON,  -  -  267 

THE   STONE   JAIL   AT    BADDECK,  269 

APPROACH    TO    BADDECK    HY    ROAD,  271 

LIGHTHOUSE   ON    LITTLE   XARROWS,    LAKE    BRAS   D'OR,   CAPE    BRETON  (Inst.)  273 

"SOLOMON'S   CELLAR"    POOL,    XEAR   Ross's   FARM,  -  275 

CELEBRATED    PLASTER    LEDGE   AND    POOL   ON   THE    MARGAREE    RIVER,    C.    1!.  277 

POOL   ON   THE   MIDDLE    RIVER,    CAPE   BRETON,  -  279 

THE   VILLAGE   OF   NORTHEAST    MARGAREE,    CAPE    BRETON,  281 

THE   HOUSE   THAT   SHELTERED    us   AT   NORTHEAST    MARGAREK,  283 

FRENCH   FISHING   STATION  OK  CHETTICAMP,  ON  GULF  SHORE,  CAPE  BRETON,  285 

LANDING   FOR    FISHING   BOATS,    NEAR   CHETTICAMP,  287 

REFLECTIONS   SPRING   NEAR    Ross's   HOUSE,    NORTHEAST    MARGAREE,  289 

ENOUGH  FOR   BREAKFAST,    ANYWAY   (Inst.),  291 

WHYKOKOMAGH    FROM   THE   STEAMBOAT   WHARF,  293 

BAY   VIEW    HOTEL   AT   WHYKOKOMAGH,    CAPE    BRETON,  295 

FALLS   Two    HUNDRED    FEET   IN    HEIGHT   ON   THE    MARGAREE   RIVER,  297 

FALLS   ON   THE   MARGAREE   BELOW    CAPE   CLEAR,  299 

CAPE   CLEAR   ON   MARGAREE    RIVER,  301 

EEL   WEIRS   AT   OUTLET   OK   LAKE   AINSLEE   (Inst.  from  Moving  11'agon),  303 

"BELOW   THIS   BRIDGE   is   A    LARGE   DEEP   POOL,'  305 

FLAT   ROCK   POOL   ON  THE  JACQUET   RIVER,    X.   1!..  307 

WARD'S   POOL   ON   THE  JACQUET    RIVER,  309 


xviii  Illustrations. 

PAGE 

SNAP  SHOT  AT  NEW  BRUNSWICK  GIRLS  ON  CLIFF  NEAR  JACQUET  RIVER  (hist.},  313 

LEDGE  OR  WINDMILL   POOL  ON  THE  JACQUET   RIVER,                      -  315 

REFLECTIONS.      OLD   BRIDGE  AND   MILL  ox  THE  JACQI-KT    RIVER,       -            -  319 

BARCLAY'S   HOTEL,    NEAR  JACQUET   RIVER   (lust.),     -  325 

BEACH   AND   CLIFF  ON   BAIE  DES  CHALEL-RS,    NEAR   THE  JACQUET   RIVER,  329 
CHILDREN  PLAYING  ON   THE  BEACH   ox   BAIE  DES   CHALEURS,    NEAR  JACQUET 

RIVER   (/;«/.),                                                                             -            -            -  331 

HELL   GATE   POOL   ON   THE   JACQUET    RIVER,         -                         -  333 

UPPER    HORSE   SHOE   POOL   ON   THE  JACQUET   RIVER,  337 

TAKING   SOLID   COMFORT,      -                                                                                  -  -  341 

A   HARD   POOL  TO   KILL  A   SALMON   IN,  347 
A  COMFORTABLE  CAMPING   PLACE,  -                                                                         .351 

SILVERY   BEAUTIES,  355 

A,  RANGELEY   GIANT,  WEIGHT  u^  LI;S.,  -                                                             -  361 

FISH   TRAPS   AND  OPERATING  HOUSES  AT  GRAND    LAKE   STREAM,    ME.    (lust.),  363 

FISH   HATCHERY   AT  GRAND   LAKE  STREAM,  -                                                -  365 

TAKING  SPAWN  AND  MILT  SIMULTANEOUSLY  AT  GRAND  LAKE  STREAM  (lust. ),  367 

TAKING  THE  EGGS   FROM   A  SALMON   (fust.),                                                        -  369 

RESTIGOUCHE  FISH   HATCHERY  AT  DEERSIDE,    P.  n.,  371 

FERTILE  AND   INFERTILE  SALMON   EGGS,    -                                                            .  373 

FEMALE  SCHOODIC  SALMON,   AFTER  SPAWNING,  375 

DON'T  You   WISH  You   HAD   BEEN   THERE?        -                                                .  377 

A   FORTY-EIGHT    POUNDER,  37g 

STRIPED   BASS,                                                                                                              .  381 

LANDING  A  SEA  TROUT,  383 

A   "LEAN-TO"   CAMP,    BUILT   OF   LOGS,                                                                   .  3s5 

A   STRING   OF   TROUT,      -                                                               -  387 

MENDING  THE   BIRCH,                                                                         .                        .  3gg 

FLAT  LANDS,    RESTIGOUCHE  Y ALLEY,    -  30! 

A   HANDSOME  STRING   OF   SEA   TROUT,                                                                   .  303 

A   THREE-POUND  SEA   TROUT,    -  395 

HEADS  OF  SEA  TROUT,        -                                              ....  307 

YIEW   OF  QUEBEC   FROM   LEVIS,'                                                            .            .  ^ 


Illustrations.  xix 

PAGE 

VIEW   OK   QUEBEC   FROM   ST.    CHARLES   RIVER,      -  -      401 

FISHING  PARTY   ox   LAKE  EDWARD,  P.  Q.,    (/>:.?(.),  -  -                        403 

OUTLET  OK  LAKE   EDWARD — HEAD  OF  JEANNOT   RIVER,  ...      405 

ON  THE  JEANNOT   RIVER   NEAR   LAKE    EDWARD,        ....  407 

PIONEER   STEAMER   PERIBONCA   ON    LAKE   ST.    JOHN,    P.  o.,  -            -            -      409 

A    PAIR   WORTH   WEIGHING,       -            -  -            -             411 

WlNNINISH,         -                                                                        -  ...         413 

A     \VlNNINISH,           -                                      -                   -                                      -  415 

WINNINISH,    GREAT  AND   SMALL,      -  -            -      417 

THE  WINNINISH   LANDED   (//«/.),          ......  4iy 

THE    MONTAGNAIS   INDIANS,    LAKE  ST.   JOHN,    P.  Q.,     -  -                        -      421 

VIEW  OF   LAKE   ST.   JOHN   FROM    POINT  AUX   TREMBLES,     -  423 

PLAYING  A  WINNINISH   ON  LAKE   ST.    JOHN   (fust.'),        -  -      425 

OUIATCHOUAN     FALLS,     NEAR     LAKE     ST.     JOHN,  -                                    427 

"A  TROPHY,  THIS" — RANGELF.Y  TROUT,  -  429 

R.  C.  LEONARD  AT  NEW  YORK  TOURNAMENT  CASTING  FOR  DISTANCE  WITH 

SALMON  ROD,  431 

JAMES  1..  BREESE  AT  NEW  YORK  TOURNAMENT  CASTING  FOR  ACCURACY  WITH 

SINGLE-HANDED  FLY-ROD,  -  -  433 

W.  A.  BLACKFORD  AT  NEW  YORK  TOURNAMENT  CASTING  FOR  DISTANCE 

WITH  SINGLE-HANDED  FLY-ROD,  -  435 

R.  B.  LAWRENCE  AT  NEW  YORK  TOURNAMENT  CASTING  FOR  DISTANCE  WITH 

SINGLE-HANDED  Fi.Y-RoD,  -  437 

DESCENDING  RAPIDS  IN  A  BIRCH  (//«/.),  439 

THE  RIVER  WAS  VERY  HIGH,  441 

METABETCHOUAN  RIVER  BELOW  THE  FALLS,  443 

METABETCHOUAN  FALLS,  P.  Q.,  445 

NAVIGATING  ROUGH  WATERS  IN  A  DUGOUT  (fust.),  447 

RED  LEDGE  POOL,  451 

VIEW  ON  LAKE  EDWARD,  P.  Cj.,  -  453 

CAPTAIN  BURCHELL'S  TREASURES  (lust.)  461 

HOTEL  ROBERVAL,  LAKE  ST.  JOHN,  P.  Q.,  467 


WITH  FLY-ROD  AND  CAMERA. 


CHAPTER    I. 


OUR  FIRST  NIGHT  ON  THE  RIVER.  •  How  TO  SEE  A  SALMON  IN  A  DEEP  POOL. 
SPEARING  AND  GILL-NETTING  DISCUSSED  AND  CONDEMNED.  •  CAPE  BRETON 
SALMON  SPEARING.  •  HARD  LUCK.  •  THE  BOY  TOLD  A  STRAIGHT  STORY. 
DESTRUCTION  CAUSED  BY  SEINING.  •  A  STARTLING  SPLASH  IN  THE  POOL. 
FLY-FISHING  BY  MOONLIGHT  FOR  TROUT  AND  SALMON.  •  THE  DELIGHTS  OF 
ANGLING.  •  THE  DIFFERENCE  BETWEEN  THE  TRUE  SPORTSMAN  AND  THE  FISH 
KILLER.  •  THE  MIRAMICHI  AND  ITS  TRIBUTARIES.  •  SOME  FISHERY  STA- 
TISTICS. •  CHANGES  IN  THE  LIFE  OF  THE  SALMON.  •  DID  YOU  EVER  SEE 
A  FEMALE  GRILSE?  •  How  TO  DRAG  A  SALMON  FLY.  •  FAVORITE  FLIES. 
HABITS  OF  THE  SALMON.  •  KELTS  ARE  UNFIT  FOR  FOOD. 


A  NOT  HER  year  had  passed  away,  and  again  we 
*  ^  were  encamped  by  the  side  of  one  of  the  most 
picturesque  rivers  in  Canada.  Our  tent  was  pitched  near 
the  "third  pool,"  and  was  pleasantly  located  in  a  grove 
of  firs,  hemlocks  and  maples,  on  a  little  knoll  a  few 
feet  from  the  eastern  shore  of  the  river,  and  but  two 
or  three  rods  from  the  rapids  which  form  the  head  of 
the  pool. 

It   was   the    evening    of    our    first   day    on    the    river, 
and  a  hearty  supper,  such  as  only  a  fisherman  knows  how 


22  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

to  enjoy,  had  been  disposed  of,  and  we  were  indulging 
in  that  supreme  enjoyment  which  a  good  cigar,  a  perfect 
digestion  and  such  surroundings  could  give. 

We  had  had  a  hard  day's  work  in  ascending  the 
river,  and  had  found  but  small  sport  with  the  fly,  for 
there  are  but  few  good  pools  below  the  third,  two  of 
them  only  being  considered  of  enough  importance  to  be 
named.  We  had  found  the  water  low  and  clear,  and 
the  day  was  bright ;  but  in  spite  of  these  drawbacks  we 
had  made  a  score  of  fifteen  or  twenty  nice  sea  trout 
and  a  grilse. 

Frere,  my  comrade  on  this  occasion,  was  a  sports- 
man in  the  best  sense  of  the  word,  a  student  and  lover 
of  nature  also,  and  a  scholarly  man  besides. 

He  had  been  with  me  before  on  more  than  one 
outing,  and  was  a  most  agreeable  and  altogether  enjoy- 
able companion.  We  had  found  the  river  so  low,  that 
in  many  places  our  canoe  could  not  possibly  be  poled 
up  the  rapids,  loaded  as  she  was  so  heavily  with  us,  our 
stores,  and  our  two  canoemen  or  guides,  and  we  had 
waded  a  good  part  of  the  day. 

Of  course  wading  is  expected  by  every  fisherman, 
and  in  fact  it  would  be  a  tame  day  indeed,  if  a  good 
part  of  the  time  were  not  spent  in  two  feet,  more  or 
less,  of  water. 


24  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

But  after  the  day's  work  is  done,  and  the  wet  clothes 
are  doffed,  and  warm,  dry  ones  put  on  for  the  night, 
what  a  feeling  of  intense  satisfaction  and  rest  and  utter 
comfort  one  enjoys,  as  he  stretches  himself  out  on  his 
thick  bed  of  hemlock  boughs,  as  we  did  after  enjoying 
our  evening  meal. 

It  is  my  invariable  rule  on  my  fishing  trips  to  have 
a  warm,  dry  change  of  clothes,  in  which  to  pass  the 
night.  No  matter  how  much  wading  one  does  in  the 
cold,  almost  icy  cold  water  of  the  mountain  stream,  if 
the  change  of  clothes  is  at  hand,  no  discomfort  follows 
the  exposure. 

And  after  the  dry  woolens  are  donned,  how  one's 
skin  glows,  and  what  a  sense  of  satisfaction  is  felt  as 
the  comrades  repose  before  the  camp  fire,  and  while 
watching  the  blaze  curl  about  the  snapping  logs,  discuss 
the  events  of  the  day,  and  fight  their  battles  o'er  again. 

It  was  under  such  conditions  as  I  have  described 
that  we  enjoyed  our  first  night's  outing. 

Before  us,  across  the  river,  looming  up  against  the 
heavens,  was  a  high,  steep,  rugged  cliff ;  behind  and 
around  us  on  all  other  sides  was  the  forest,  which  ex- 
tended almost  unbroken  for  hundreds  of  miles. 

In  front  of  the  camp  was  the  fire,  and  around  it  in 
careless  attitudes  we  reclined,  together  with  our  two  ca- 


With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera.  25 

noemen.  For  a  while  neither  of  us  spoke,  but  gave  our- 
selves entirely  to  our  thoughts  and  to  the  goddess 
Nicotine. 

"  It's  a  great  pity  I  lost  that  salmon  in  the  second 
pool,"  at  length  exclaimed  my  friend,  who  had  been 
busily  engaged  in  drying  his  wading  stockings.  "He 
must  have  been  lightly  hooked,  for  I  handled  him  as 
carefully  as  I  could." 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "the  hook  came  back  with  a  jerk. 
I  should  think  perhaps  it  struck  the  bone  of  the  jaw, 
and  not  finding  enough  to  hold  it,  came  away  at  the 
first  turn  of  the  fish." 

"'Twas  a  right  neat  cast  you  made  that  time,"  said 
Hiram,  the  elder  of  the  guides,  joining  in  the  conver- 
sation. "  I  think  it  was  about  ninety  feet ;  I  saw  the 
fish  just  foment  the  fly,  a  cast  or  two  before  he  rose. 
He  made  an  offer  at  it,  but  not  in  real  earnest.  'Twas 
when  the  fly  went  beyant  and  passed  fairly  over  him 
that  he  took  it." 

"I  didn't  see  him  until  he  rose,"  replied  my  friend, 
"or  I  should  have  fished  differently." 

"You  wouldn't  have  done  any  better,  likely  as  not, 
if  you  had  seen  him,"  said  William,  the  other  guide, 
"  it  v/as  a  fresh-run  fish,  and  took  when  a  good  chance 
came." 


26  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera, 

"You  say  you  saw  him  before  he  rose,  Hiram,"  I 
exclaimed,  "do  you  mean  that  you  saw  the  fish  away 
down  in  the  pool,  at  that  distance?" 

"Indeed  he  did,"  said  William,  "and  so  did  I;  the 
fish  was  lying  up  against  a  blue  rock  in  the  eddy. 
Hey,  Hiram?" 

Such  keenness  of  sight  seemed  almost  incredible, 
but  I  had  witnessed  numerous  instances  of  it  before, 
and  I  saw  no  reason  to  doubt  their  statement  in  the 
present  instance.  The  training  of  the  vision  of  the 
guides  and  river  men  is  something  absolutely  wonderful. 
Many  and  many  a  time  have  I  stood  beside  a  salmon 
pool,  and  had  my  guide  count  the  fish  lying  in  the 
water,  sometimes  a  dozen  at  a  time,  when  I  positively 
could  not  see  a  fin.  It  is  only  in  late  years  that  I 
have  learned  how  to  look  for  a  salmon  beneath  the 
surface  of  the  water. 

It  is  an  accomplishment  difficult  to  acquire,  and 
hard  to  describe.  In  the  first  place,  the  uneducated 
observer  looks  for  something  whitish  in  the  water,  in 
searching  for  a  salmon,  whereas  he  should  look  for  a 

fish    grayish    in    color    and    with    a    bluish-green    back;     for 

• 

the  salmon  in  its  native  element  almost  always  shows 
that  color,  unless  it  has  been  long  in  the  river,  and 
even  then  it  does  not  lose  its  bluish  back  entirely, 


28  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

although  it  becomes  much  darker.  Again  he  looks  for 
a  large  fish,  when  if  he  searched  for  something  near 
what  he  would  expect  to  be  the  dimensions  of  a  good- 
sized  trout,  he  would  come  nearer  the  mark. 

I  can  recall  a  number  of  instances  of  seeing  what  I 
supposed  to  be  either  a  large  trout  or  a  grilse,  but 
which,  on  being  killed,  proved  to  be  a  good-sized  sal- 
mon. 

It  is  to  be  remembered  that  the  salmon  in  the  pool 
is  covered  generally  with  more  water  than  the  observer 
dreams  of;  and  I  have  often  found  a  depth  of  fifteen 
feet  in  a  pool  where  I  hardly  expected  three.  Such  a 
depth  dwarfs  the  size  of  the  fish  to  the  eye,  and  it  is 
only  by  much  practice  that  one  learns  to  look  through 
the  water  for  the  fish  for  which  he  is  searching. 

"Oh,  yes,  I  saw  the  salmon  a  good  bit  of  time 
before  he  took  the  fly,"  said  Hiram,  cutting  up  a  fresh 
filling  of  tobacco  for  his  pipe,  and  rubbing  it  fine  be- 
tween his  hands,  "and  three  more." 

"Is  that  so?"  I  exclaimed,  "Why  didn't  you  speak 
at  the  time?"  , 

"They  were  away  down  the  pool  beyant  the  fly," 
said  William,  "and  two  of  them  were  scarred  on  the 
back.  Hey,  Hiram?" 

His    brother   was    busily   engaged    in   lighting   his   pipe 


With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera.  29 

with  an  ember  at  that  moment,  and  only  grunted  an 
assent  to  William's  query ;  but  at  length  he  answered, 
"Yes,  blast  the  spearers,  they're  at  it  again." 

"  I  noticed  some  burnt  remnants  of  birch  bark  on 
the  rocks,"  quietly  remarked  Frere,  who  was  still  en- 
gaged with  his  wet  stockings,  "and  supposed  that  the 
spearers  were  at  their  old  tricks." 

"Yes,  they're  always  at  it  every  right  night,"  said 
William,  as  he  threw  a  fresh  log  on  the  fire,  and  ar- 
ranged the  others  so  as  to  burn  to  better  advantage, 
"and  they  can't  be  stopped  neither,  unless  there's  a  man 
always  handy  to  watch  the  big  pools." 

''  It's  a  pity  they  can't  be  stopped  in  their  work  in 
the  lower  pools,"  said  I.  "If  they  could  be  headed  off 
there,  they  would  hardly  trouble  the  fish  in  the  upper 
pools,  they  are  so  difficult  of  access." 

"Sure  enough,"  replied  William,  "and  the  two  lower 
pools,  if  let  alone,  would  be  the  best  salmon  pools  on 
the  river,  but  the  poachers  can  reach  them  in  three  or 
four  hours  from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  they  not 
only  spear  in  them,  but  they  often  set  gill-nets,  and 
even  sweep  the  pools  with  seines." 

"Too  bad,  too  bad,  altogether!"  exclaimed  Hiram, 
"they'll  spile  the  river  entirely." 

In    order    that    their    words    may    be     better    under- 


3°  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

stood,  I  will  make  a  brief  explanation.  Salmon  spear- 
ing and  netting  are  the  two  great  causes  of  depletion 
of  Canadian  streams ;  dipping,  that  is  catching  the  fish 
with  a  large  scoop-net  in  the  runs,  now  being  but  little 
practiced.  I  have  visited  and  fished  quite  a  number  of 
the  streams,  and  found  that  one,  if  not  both  these  pro- 
scribed methods  of  capturing  the  fish,  was  practiced  on 
almost  every  one.  It  is  done  sub  rosa  of  course,  but  to 
the  educated  observer  certain  " signs"  of  the  marauders 
are  always  apparent. 

Salmon  spearing  is  practiced  in  the  following  man- 
ner: The  spear  is  usually  a  steel  lance,  sharply  pointed, 
and  fixed  in  the  end  of  a  strong  pole.  At  both  sides 
of  this  lance  are  pliable  wooden  springs.  When  the 
fish  is  struck,  the  steel  pierces  its  back,  and  at  the  same 
time  the  springs  fly  open  and  clasp  the  fish  and  hold  it 
firmly.  A  dark,  cloudy  night  is  chosen,  and  at  a  time 
when  the  moon  is  not  above  the  horizon. 

The  spearer,  usually  in  a  dugout  or  a  canoe,  but 
sometimes  on  a  rudely  constructed  catamaran  or  raft,  is 
paddled  or  poled  silently  by  a  confederate  over  the  pool. 

In  the  bow  of  the  boat,  affixed  to  a  staff,  or  lying 
in  a  pan,  is'  a  roll  of  blazing  birch  bark,  and  its  flame 
lights  up  the  water  brilliantly,  wherever  the  rays  of  the 
light  penetrate.  The  fish  pay  no  attention  to  the  blaze, 


32  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

or  if  they  do  they  are  attracted  by  it,  for  they  seem 
to  swim  in  the  circle  of  light,  but  not  beyond  it. 

The  spearer,  standing  crouched  behind  the  burning 
bark,  holds  his  weapon  in  readiness  for  a  quick  thrust, 
and  I  am  told  by  those  who  have  seen  it  done,  that 
the  blow  is  given  by  a  practiced  hand  with  the  rapid- 
ity of  lightning. 

The  fish  is  struck,  and  lifted  or  flung  into  the  boat 
with  one  quick  effort,  in  fact,  to  use  the  words  of  a 
gentleman  who  used  occasionally  to  go  with  the  Indians 
salmon  spearing,  "The  fish  was  flouncing  and  flapping 
in  the  canoe,  even  without  my  seeing  the  Indians  make 
the  blow,  so  quickly  was  it  struck." 

All  the  fish  in  a  pool  may  thus  be  killed  by  an 
expert  in  a  short  time,  and  if  any  by  chance  escape,  as 
they  sometimes  do,  they  are  often  so  cut  and  gashed  by 
the  sharp  steel  as  eventually  to  die  from  the  injuries 
received. 

After  his  work  is  done,  the  spearer  often  carelessly 
throws  the  scorched  remnants  of  birch  bark  upon  the 
shore,  or  casts  them  into  the  river,  but  they  are  soon 
landed  on  a  jutting  beach,  and  they  appear  as  a  certain 
evidence  of  the  presence  of  the  despoiler. 

"Yes,  spearing  makes  bad  work  in  the  river,"  said 
William,  musingly.  •"  I've  often  seen  fish  that  had  been 


With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera.  33 

cut  with  the  spear  but  not  killed,  and  it  spiles  them  for 
breeders."  * 

"  Not  only  that,"  added  my  friend,  who  was  now  re- 
clining at  his  ease  beside  me,  "but  the  fish  that  escape 
are  always  shy  and  wild  the  rest  of  the  season,  and  they 
will  pay  no  attention  to  the  fly  whatever." 

"Yes,  it  is  greatly  to  be  desired  that  spearing  should 
be  stopped,"  said  I,  "but  the  problem  is  how  it  can  be 
done ;  no  law  can  be  strictly  enforced  unless  public  sen- 
timent is  with  it.  On  all  the  rivers  upon  which  I  know 
that  spearing  is  practiced,  the  majority  of  the  residents 
in  the  different  localities  do  not  disapprove  of  it,  and 
very  often  many  otherwise  respectable  men  take  their 
turns  at  it.  Let  me  give  you  a  single  instance: 

"  I  was  fishing  the  Margaree,  that  noble  salmon  river 
in  Cape  Breton.  I  was  up  the  river  some  twenty  or 
thirty  miles  from  its  mouth,  and  was  casting  in  one  of 
the  finest  pools  I  ever  saw.  At  every  cast  I  expected 
a  rise,  for  the  water  was  right,  and  the  pool  looked  as 
if  it  ought  to  have  at  least  a  dozen  fish  in  it.  I 
worked  with  the  greatest  care  and  patience,  and  covered 
the  pool  in  all  directions  with  every  variety  of  fly  that 
I  thought  ought  to  move  the  capricious  beauties,  but  not 

*  The    dialogues,    if    not    conventional,    are    correct,     having    been    jotted    down 
verbatim,—- E.    A.    S. 


34  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

a  rise  did  I  get,  except  from  a  few  insignificant  trout. 
I  could  not  quite  understand  it  at  first,  for  I  knew  that 
the  salmon  were  ascending  the  river,  as  they  had  been 
taken  in  a  number  of  the  pools  below.  At  length, 
however,  when  I  went  to  the  foot  of  the  pool  and 
crossed  over  to  the  rocks  on  the  other  side,  I  found  a 
number  of  the  tell-tale  remnants  of  burned  rolls  of  birch 
bark.  I  returned  to  my  first  position  at  the  rapids,  at 
the  head,  and  began  casting  again,  but  I  had  no  faith 
in  my  work,  for  I  knew  that  the  poacher  had  fore- 
stalled me.  Presently  I  was  joined  by  a  man  who  had 
been  at  work  in  the  adjacent  hay  field,  and  we  soon 
entered  into  conversation. 

"'Gitting    any    fish?'    he    asked. 

"'No,  nothing  but  a  few  sea  trout,'  I  replied,  'it's 
strange  I  don't  move  a  salmon ;  there  ought  to  be  some 
here,  but  I  haven't  stirred  a  fin  yet.' 

"  'Yes,  it's  about  time  for  um  to  be  running  up,' 
he  answered,  naively,  'and,  in  fact,  my  boys  seen  some 
here  a  day  or  two  back.' 

"  'At  all  events,'  I  replied,  'there's  none  here  now, 
and  I  may  as  well  go  to  the  pools  further  up.' 

"  '  Perhaps  you  don't  fish  right,  mister,'  he  answered, 
'or  may  be  your  flies  ain't  just  right;  you  ought  to  get 
a  salmon  in  this  water,  sure.'  All  this  quite  innocently. 


36  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

"  '  Well,  I  cannot  say  about  the  way  I  fish,  whether 
it  is  right  or  not/  I  said,  'but  the  flies  are  all  right, 
and  I  have  tried  every  kind  I  have.  It  seems  to  me 
there  must  have  been  spearing  going  on  here  lately,'  I 
added,  looking  him  in  the  eye,  and  at  the  same  time 
handing  him  a  cigar,  'there  are  certainly  quite  a  number 
of  birch  bark  embers  lying  on  the  rocks  yonder.' 

"  '  Spearing !  Oh,  no,  mister ;  there  ain't  no  spearing 
done  around  here,'  he  exclaimed  in  a  tone  that  ought  to 
have  convinced  me.  'Why,  look,  up  yonder  lives  one  of 
the  river  wardens,'  and  he  pointed  to  a  cottage  an  eighth 
of  a  mile  from  the  pool.  '  Oh,  no,  we  don't  have  no 
spearing  in  this  pool,  not  much.  Well,  I  must  be  get- 
ting to  work  again,'  he  said,  after  watching  me  a  short 
time  in  my  efforts  to  rise  a  fish.  'Cast  away  into  the 
eddy,  the  other  side  of  the  rapids,  mister,  and  may  be 
you'll  rise  a  salmon  yet ;  you're  fishing  all  right,  and  the 
flies  are  good  ones ;  fish  careful !  Oh,  no,  we  don't  have 
no  spearing  in  this  pool,'  he  ejaculated,  as  he  disappeared 
in  the  bushes  behind  me. 

"  Now,  for  real  genuine  finesse  your  countryman  is 
not  to  be  outdone  by  a  city  dweller,  and  my  man  in 
this  instance  acted  his  part  perfectly ;  but  he  was  lying 
to  me  all  through,  as  I  proved  inside  of  ten  minutes. 

"  I    was   casting    in    the    eddy    below    the    rapids,    and 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  37 

had  hooked  a  very  fine  sea  trout.  Being  alone,  my 
friends  having  left  for  the  pools  above,  I  had  consider- 
able difficulty  in  killing  my  fish,  but  was  finally  assisted 
by  a  youngster  ten  or  twelve  years  of  age,  who  oppor- 
tunely arrived  on  the  rocks,  and  taking  my  net,  landed 
my  fish  quite  skillfully. 

"'That's  a  nice  trout,  mister,'  he  exclaimed,  as  he 
laid  the  fish  upon  the  beach,  how  much  will  he  weigh, 
s'pose  ? ' 

"  I  took  out  my  pocket  scales,  and  found  that  the 
trout  a  little  overran  three  and  a  half  pounds. 

"  '  He  isn't  quite  as  big  as  the  one  I  got  yesterday, 
though,'  said  the  lad.  '  I  got  him  right  there  in  the 
bend,  'side  of  that  rock.'  And  he  pointed  into  the  pool 
as  he  spoke. 

"'How  did  you  get  him,  my  boy?'  I  asked,  quite 
innocently.  '  I  should  think  a  large  fish  would  be  too 
much  for  you.'  And  I  began  casting  again,  awaiting 
his  reply. 

"'Oh,  I  got  him  just  the  way  I  get  a  good  many 
more.  I  snared  him  ! ' 

"'Snared  him!'  I  exclaimed,  'how  under  the  sun 
could  you  snare  a  trout?' 

"'Ho!  easy  enough,'  he  answered,  'all  you've  got 
to  do  is  to  get  some  wire,  and  make  a  slip-noose  on  it, 


38  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

and  drop  it  down  in  front  of  the  trout,  and  then  slip  it 
over  his  head,  and  pull  like  mighty,  and  he's  caught ;  no 
get  away  from  that,  sure.' 

"'And    so    you    noosed    him,    hey?'     I    replied. 

"'No,  I  snared  him,'  the  boy  insisted,  'and  just  at 
dark,  yesterday  .afternoon,  I  seen  a  salmon  lying  there,' 
pointing  into  the  pool  near  where  I  stood,  'and  I  struck 
him  with  my  spear,  but  he  got  away.' 

"'Oh,  so  you  have  a  salmon  spear,  have  you?'  I 
replied,  carelessly,  still  busy  casting.  '  I  should  think  you 
were  not  big  enough  to  handle  one.' 

"'Oh,  mine's  a  trout  spear,'  he  rejoined,  'mine  isn't 
as  big  as  father's,  mine's  only  for  trout.' 

"  'And  so  you  spear  the  trout,  do  you,  in  addition 
to  snaring  them,'  said  I.  'Why,  you  are  quite  a  smart 
fisherman ;  it  is  not  every  boy  of  your  age  who  can  catch 
fish  the  ways  you  can.' 

"  '  I    guess,'    he    answered,    naively. 

"'And   what    kind    of    a    spear    has    your    father    got?' 

"'Oh,  his  is  a  reg'lar  salmon  spear,  and  he  knows 
how  to  use  it,  too,  I  can  tell  you ;  why  the  folks  around 
here  say  he  is  the  boss  spearer.' 

"  '  Is  that  your  father  at  work  there  in  the  meadow 
yonder?'  I  asked,  pointing  to  the  man  who  had  lately 
visited  me  at  the  pool. 


4°  With    Fly  -Rod   and    Camera. 

"'Yes,    that's   my   father,'   said    the    lad,    'he's    haying.' 

"  'And  you  say  he's  the  champion  spearer,  is  he?'  I 
continued  in  the  same  careless  tone.  'How  many  salmon 
do  you  suppose  he  can  spear  in  a  night  if  he  has  good 
luck?  I  once  knew  an  Indian-  that  killed  five  in  one 
night.' 

"  '  Oh,  my  pa  sometimes  gets  ten  in  a  night,  he's 
boss.'  This  with  a  proud  tone. 

"  'And  what  do  you  do  with  so  many  ?  I  should 
think  you  would  get  tired  of  so  much  salmon  all  the 
time.' 

"  '  Oh,  ma  corns  [salts]  them  for  winter.  Last  week, 
pa,  he  speared  a  big  one,  the  biggest  I  ever  seen  in  all 
my  life.' 

"'Where    did    he    get    him?'    I    asked. 

"  '  Oh,  in  the  pool  up  there,'  and  he  pointed  to  a 
pool  up  the  river,  in  plain  view  from  the  warden's  house. 

"'What,  in  that  pool!  I  should  think  the  spearers 
would  be  afraid  of  the  warden.' 

"'Ho!    they    ain't    afraid    of    him    much.' 

"'So!'  I  exclaimed,  carelessly,  'what  would  they  do 
if  he  came  to  the  pool  when  they  were  at  work  spear- 


"'They'd    take    rocks    and    stone    him    out    o'    that! 
He'd    be    glad    to    let    them    alone.' 


With    Fly- Rod   and    Camera.  41 

"'Ah,    did    he    ever   get    stoned   away?'     I    asked. 

"'He  did  that,'  was  the  reply.  'Oh,  he  won't 
trouble  any  one.' 

"'So  your  father  killed  the  big  salmon?'  I   continued. 

"'Yes,  he  was  a  buster,'  replied  the  boy.  'You  see 
he  laid  in  this  pool  two  or  three  days,  and  all  the  neigh- 
bors tried  to  get  him,  but  he  was  too  big  for  any  spear 
they  had.  He  was  struck  hard  more  than  once,  and  he 
had  a  big  gash  on  his  back  when  father  got  him.  They 
drove  him  out  of  this  pool,  chasing  him  so  much.' 

"  'What  do  you  mean  by  saying  he  was  too  big  for 
any  of  the  spears?'  I  asked. 

"'Oh,  his  back  was  so  thick  that  the  tines  wouldn't 
spread  enough.  Pa  got  a  spear  made  all  iron,  and  that 
fetched  him  pretty  quick.  He  was  a  big  one!' 

"'How  much  did  he  weigh?'  I  asked,  reeling  in  my 
line,  and  preparing  to  leave. 

"  'Thirty-eight  pounds,  and  over,'  was  the  boy's  reply. 

"  '  He  was  a  good  one,'  I  exclaimed.  '  Well,  I  think 
I'll  be  going  now,'  I  said,  gathering  up  the  few  trout  I 
had  taken. 

"  'There  isn't  much  fun  fishing  the  way  you  do, 
mister,'  said  the  youngster.  '  It  must  be  as  hard  work 
as  chopping  wood.  A  drag-net  is  the  thing  to  catch  a 
lot  of  trout  with!' 


42  W/itk    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

"'Yes,'  I  replied,  quite  unembarrassed.  'What  a  lot 
of  big  fish  I  could  sweep  out  of  the  pool  with  a  good- 
sized  net!' 

"  '  Well,  not  so  great  many  to-day,  mister,'  answered 
the  lad.  'The  folks  over  in  that  house,'  pointing  to  a 
farm  house  across  the  river,  'have  got  a  large  net,  big 
enough  to  stretch  away  over  the  pool,  and  they  catch 
lots  of  trout.' 

"  'Ah,'  said  I,  carelessly,  'when  did  they  sweep  the 
pool  last,  my  boy?' 

"'Last  night,  mister,  and  they  got  a  pile  of  big  ones ! 
Mister,  say,  gimme  a  fly-hook.'  I  handed  the  youth  trib- 
ute in  the  shape  of  a  gray  hackle,  and  went  on  my  way 
in  a  meditative  mood. 

"As  I  passed  the  meadow,  I  saw  the  farmer  who  was 
still  at  his  work  in  the  hay  field,  and  I  almost  seemed  to 
hear  him  muttering  to  himself,  '  Spearing !  Oh,  no,  mister, 
there  ain't  no  spearing  done  round  here,  not  much!'' 

"Ha,  ha,  the  lad  gave  it  all  away,"  exclaimed  Hiram, 
when  I  had  finished  my  story. 

"Yes,    you    got    it    all,    straight,"    added    William. 

Frere  indulged  in  an  amused  chuckle  at  my  casting 
so  faithfully  in  the  pool  that  had  been  netted  the  night 
before,  saying,  "  I  wonder  how  many  times  you  changed 
your  flies  over  that  pool?" 


With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera.  43 

"Times  without  number,"  1  replied,  "the  water  looked 
so  good,  I  felt  sure  there  were  salmon  lying  there." 

"Well,  now,  after  all's  said  about  spearing,"  exclaimed 
William,  after  a  pause,  "it  destroys  no  more  salmon  than 
sweeping  with  the  seine." 

"Yes,"  assented  Hiram,  "one's  bad  as  'tother,  and  it's 
mighty  hard  choosing." 

"Seining  the  pools  is  not  practiced  as  much  as  spear- 
ing, however,"  said  Frere.  "In  the  first  place,  the  seine 
is  much  more  expensive  than  the  spear,  and  is  not  as 
easily  obtained.  Again,  there  is  greater  chance  for  dis- 
covery. No.  I  don't  think  as  much  mischief  is  done 
with  the  seine  as  with  the  spear,  but  both  implements 
are  bad  things  on  the  river." 

"There's  little  choice,"  I  .replied,  "seining  can  be  done 
on  almost  any  night,  in  fact  in  the  day  time,  while  spear- 
ing can  be  carried  on  only  in  dark  nights." 

"After  all,"  I  continued,  after  another  pause,  "we  can- 
not say  that  the  action  of  the  spearers  and  netters  is  en- 
tirely unreasonable,  looking  at  it  from  their  standpoint." 

"Hey!"  exclaimed  Frere.  "I  did  not  expect  that 
from  you,  Doctor."  Frere  always  insisted  on  calling  me 
Doctor,  and  the  title  finally  became  fastened  to  me  among 
my  guides  and  boatmen. 

"Well,    now,    look   at   it,"    I    continued.       "In    the   first 


44  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

place,    for    how    many    months    of    the    open    season    may 
gill-netters    keep    their    nets    set    in    tidal    waters?" 

"  From  May  first  to  August  first  in  the  Province  of 
Quebec,  and  from  March  first  to  August  fifteenth  in  Nova 
Scotia  and  New  Brunswick,"  replied  Frere. 

"Well,"  I  continued,  "there  are  three  months  at  least, 
during  which,  under  certain  small  restrictions,  people  living 
on  the  shore  may  net  all  the  salmon  they  desire,  or  can 
catch,  and  taking  this  into  consideration,  is  it  to  be  won- 
dered at  that  some  of  those,  who  living  on  the  river,  yet, 
unfortunately  for  them,  above  tide-water,  should  think  it 
no  more  than  fair  that  they  should  get  a  few  of  the  fish 
that  escape  their  more  fortunate  tide-water  neighbors  who 
may  net  them  legally  ? 

"  Many  of  these  so-called  poachers  are  hard-working 
farmers,  and  mighty  hard  scratching  they  have  for  a  living, 
I  can  attest,  who  do  not  taste  any  fresh  meat  sometimes 
for  a  week  or  more  at  a  stretch.  Now,  I  can  under- 
stand just  how  they  feel,  for  I  have  talked  with  many 
of  them,  and  I  tell  you,  Frere,  a  good  many  others  would 
spear  and  net  if  they  were  situated  as  they  are. 

"Here*  is  a  river  running  through  their  farms,  we'll 
say,  and  salmon  passing  up  nightly.  The  people  about 
the  mouth  of  the  river  on  the  bay  shore  have  a  legal 
to  take  the  fish  with  the  net,  but  the  moment  the 


IN  CAMP. 


46  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

salmon  reach  the  water  which  passes  through  the  land  of 
these  people,  the  law  prohibits  the  settlers  from  doing  at 
any  time  just  what  their  neighbors  may  do  almost  with- 
out restraint,  for  three  months  and  over.  Now,  of  course, 
I  am  not  excusing  spearing  and  seining;  not  for  an  in- 
stant am  I,  for  I  know  that  if  it  were  permitted  in  the 
streams,  the  salmon  would  be  exterminated.  No,  I  am 
of  the  opinion  that  gill-netting  on  the  shores  should  be 
curtailed  very  greatly,  even  if  it  is  allowed  at  all. 

"  I  am,  for  one,  selfish  enough  to  wish  that  surface 
fly-fishing  alone  might  be  the  legal  method  for  taking 
salmon,  but  so  long  as  gill-netters  and  tide-water  seiners 
and  weirsmen  are  allowed  to  kill  without  limit,  as  they 
are  now  by  law  in  the  open  season,  the  people  who  live 
on  the  rivers  are  bound  to  have  a  share,  too." 

"The  tide-water  netters  have  too  .  great  privileges," 
said  Frere,  who  had  been  quietly  listening  to  the  con- 
versation. 

"That  is  just  it,"  I  replied,  "cut  down  the  time  they 
may  set  their  nets  fully  one-half.  Prohibit  the  setting  of 
any  salmon  net  or  weir  on  the  shore,  within  one  mile  of 
the  mouth  of  any  river  frequented  by  these  fish — the  legal 
distance  now  is  two  hundred  yards — throw  open  the  rivers 
free  to  all  who  fish  with  the  fly,  thus  doing  away  with 
the  system  of  leasing,  which  I  do  not  believe  in,  and  my 


With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera.  47 

word  for  it,  but  few  years  will  elapse  before  the  men 
who  now  kill  with  the  spear  and  net  will  take  to  the 
fly-rod,  and  there  will  then  be  a  chance  for  the  rivers ; 
the  salmon  will  multiply  and  all  fly-fishermen  will  have 
sport  worth  striving  for.  Make  fly-fishing  possible  for  all, 
and  spearing  will  soon  become  odious  to  all."* 

At  that  moment  we  heard  a  tremendous  plunge  and 
splash  in  the  pool  before  us. 

"Ah,  ha,  my  lad!"  exclaimed  William,  "You're  a  big 
one !" 

At  his  words  we  heard  two  more  plunges  like  the 
first  one,  but  in  different  parts  of  the  pool. 

"They're  running  up,"  exclaimed  Hiram,  "sure  we'll 
have  sport  to-morrow  altogether. "f 

Frere  and  I  arose  to  our  feet,  and  walking  down  to 
the  edge  of  the  pool,  watched  and  listened.  The  rustle 
of  the  foliage  of  the  trees,  and  the  rattling  gurgle  of  the 
water  in  the  rapids  at  the  head  of  the  pool ,  the  occa- 
sional hooting  of  the  great  horned  owl,  the  harsh  yet  not 

*  In  the  report  of  the  Maine  Commissioners  of  Fisheries  and  Game  for  1886, 
I  find  the  following  paragraph:  "The  testimony  of  many  men  can  be  adduced  in 
Hair^or  and  Calais,  who  never  dreamed  of  the  possibility  of  taking  a  salmon  with 
what  was  termed  a  'fish-pole,'  who  are  now  converts  to  the  rod  and  fly,  anil  fierce 
opponents  to  any  other  methods  above  tide-water.  Such  is  their  enthusiasm  for  the 
newly  experienced  delight  of  killing  a  salmon  in  a  fair  trial  of  skill." 

|  Hiram  and  William,  although  of  English  descent,  had  many  unaccountable 
Irish  idioms  in  their  speech,  as  will  be  noticed  throughout. 


48  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera, 

unpleasant  stridulation  of  an  occasional  locust,  the  droning 
flight  of  some  great  beetle,  were  all  the  sounds  that  broke 
the  stillness  of  the  vast  forest  around. 

Before  us,  towering  up  high  in  the  darkness,  was  the 
cliff  on  the  further  side  of  the  river.  In  the  heavens  above 
the  stars  were  shining  with  the  greatest  brilliancy,  and  as 
we  stood  upon  the  shore,  the  moon,  like  an  immense  silver 
sphere,  suddenly  appeared  above  the  edge  of  the  forest  in 
the  east ;  larger  it  grew  until  it  appeared  in  the  full  glory 
of  the  planet,  and  never  before  had  1  seen  it  when  it 
seemed  of  such  enormous  dimensions.  This  was  doubtless 
owing  to  the  clearness  of  the  mountain  atmosphere,  but 
it  seemed  as  if  it  covered  a  third  of  the  entire  opening 
in  the  forest,  made  by  the  channel  of  the  river.  On  the 
water  it  made  a  broad  pathway  of  light,  and  the  dew- 
covered  foliage  of  the  trees  glistened  and  orlimmered  as  if 

^?  «T>  t> 

made    of   polished    silver. 

It  was  a  magnificent  scene,  weird,  yet  very  beautiful. 
As  I  gazed  almost  entranced,  I  was  startled  by  a  sudden 
mighty  splash  close  to  the  shore  where  I  was  standing, 
and  in  an  instant  a  salmon,  leaping  at  least  five  feet  in 
the  air,  fell  back  into  the  pool,  throwing  the  water  up  all 
around  me,  and  even  into  my  face.  Instinctively  I  stepped 
back  for  a  .moment,  for  although  I  knew  what  had  hap- 
pened, and  had  even  been  expecting  it,  the  close  prox- 


50  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera, 

imity  of  the  fish  had  startled  me,  just  as  even  the  oldest 
and  most  experienced  sportsman  will  for  an  instant  recoil, 
if  a  grouse  jumps  up  with  a  thundering  whirr  from  a  bush 
beside  him,  and  Hies  away  into  the  covert. 

"By  Jove,  Frere!"  I  exclaimed,  "that  fish  made  me 
jump,  I  was  taken  by  surprise." 

"Yes,  it  was  enough  to  startle  any  one,"  he  replied, 
"to  be  splashed  that  way." 

As  he  spoke,  another  fish  in  the  middle  of  the  pool 
leaped  into  the  air,  glistening  in  the  moonlight  like  silver. 
Another  and  another  flung  itself  from  the  water,  and  then 
all  was  still  again. 

"Frere,  we  are  going  to  have  sport  to-morrow,"  I  ex- 
claimed, "the  pool  is  full  of  them." 

"Why  not  to-night?"  he  asked  in  a  quiet  tone,  at 
the  same  time  going  to  the  tent  for  his  rod. 

"To-night?"    I    exclaimed.      "What,    with    the    fly?" 

"Yes,  of  course,"  he  replied,  removing  the  fly  that 
was  on  his  line,  "it  will  not  be  the  first  time  I  have 
fished  in  the  night.  Overhaul  your  flies,  please,  and  see 
if  you  have  not  a  nice  white  moth." 

I  took  out  my  book,  and  proceeding  in  the  bright 
moonlight  to  examine  my  stock  of  flies,  soon  found  some 
white  ones  or  "millers"  which  Frere  pronounced  "capital." 
The  wings  and  body  were  entirely  white. 


With    Fly- Rod   and    Camera.  51 

I  gave  him  one,  and  attaching  another  to  my  own 
casting  line,  or  leader,  we  began  to  cast,  he  near  the  foot 
of  the  pool,  and  I  near  the  rapids  at  the  head.  I  had 
made  hardly  a  half  dozen  casts  when  I  got  a  rise,  and 
hooked  a  heavy  fish,  and,  glancing  at  Frere,  I  saw  that 
he  was  equally  successful.  Shouting  to  our  sleeping  guides 
who  had  not  been  awakened  by  our  screaming  reels,  we 
were  soon  joined  by  them. 

"What  have  you  got  on?"  inquired  William,  who  with 
gaff  in  hand  came  hurriedly  to  my  side. 

"I  don't  know,"  I  replied,  slowly,  reeling  in  the  line 
which  had  been  run  out  across  the  pool.  "  I  thought 
when  the  fish  rose  that  it  was  a  salmon,  but  it  acts  like 
a  large  trout." 

In  a  short  time  I  was  convinced  that  it  was  as  I  had 
suspected,  a  heavy,  strong  sea  trout.  It  made  furious  runs, 
and  was  very  powerful,  but  it  did  not  show  the  full  vigor 
of  the  salmon,  and  did  not  jump  like  that  fish. 

I  have  killed  salmon  which  did  not  jump  more  than 
once  or  twice  from  the  time  they  were  hooked  until  they 
came  to  gaff;  and  have  also  taken  large  sea  trout  that 
jumped  a  number  of  times  clear  of  the  water  like  a  grilse ; 
but  the  "feel"  of  this  fish  was  of  a  large  trout,  and  yield- 
ing to  my  heavy  rod,  and  coming  to  the  landing  net,  it 
proved  to  be  what  I  had  suspected. 


52  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

It  was  a  very  handsome  fish  of  nearly  four  pounds 
weight.  Frere  soon  landed  his,  which  proved  to  be  an- 
other of  about  the  same  size  as  mine,  and  after  that  we 
got  no  more  rises,  although  we  cast  diligently  for  upward 
of  half  an  hour.  The  fact  is,  one  may  take  two  or  three 
of  these  large  fish  out  of  a  pool  at  night,  and  then  he 
must  stop,  for  the  fish  will  not  rise ;  wild  and  shy  as  they 
are  in  the  day  time,  at  night  they  are  doubly  suspicious, 
and  the  least  unusual  sound  will  alarm  them.  This  fact 
has  been  noticed  by  more  than  one  observer.  I  have 
often  asked  local  fishermen,  men  who  work  through  the 

o 

day  on  their  farms,  but  who  at  night  take  their  "sapling 
poles"  and  try  for  a  few  fish  for  breakfast,  "what  success" 
they  have  had  on  such  occasions. 

The  reply  has  been  almost  invariably,  "We  got  two 
or  three  nice  ones  out  of  the  pool,  and  that's  all ;  we 
don't  catch  many  at  night."  The  singular  thing  about 
their  fishing  is,  that  instead  of  using  bait  or  the  artificial 
fly,  they  almost  invariably  fish  with  a  bit  of  white  cotton 
or  linen  rag  tied  to  their  hook,  this  in  their  experience 
being  more  killing  than  any  other  lure. 

I  have  repeatedly  fished  pools  on  the  edge  of  the 
evening  with  flies,  using  in  many  cases  the  "white  miller," 
and  have  taken  but  a  few  small  trout,  and  have  been  fol- 
lowed an  hour  or  two  later  by  one  of  these  "white  rag" 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  53 

fishermen,  who  would  generally  pick  out  two  or  three 
heavy  fish.  There  is  no  accounting'  for  it,  in  fact  there 
is  no  accounting  for  most  of  the  caprices  of  the  salmon 
family. 

*  "It's  not  often  that  we  do  much  at  saumon  [salmon] 
fishing  in  the  night,"  said  Hiram,  as  he  stood  beside  us 
on  the  beach,  "  but  I  have  seen  it  done.  I  was  once 
fishing  this  river  with  a  gentleman.  We  camped  on  a 
pool  and  caught  a  lot  of  fine  trout,  but  had  got  no  sau- 
mon during  the  day.  After  dark  the  gentleman  and  I 
began  fishing  with  a  light  fly,  and  we  were  catching  a  fine 
lot  of  trout,  when  all  of  a  sudden  the  gentleman  hooked 
a  saumon,  and  I  had  to  gather  brush  wood  and  burn  it 
on  the  beach,  to  see  how  to  gaff  the  fish.  In  a  half  hour 
the  gentleman  hooked  another,  and  I  gaffed  that  also;  but 
it's  rare  that  we  ever  take  them  at  night,  though  we  have 
often  two  hours  of  trout  fishing  with  white  flies." 

"  I  have  heard  of  taking  the  salmon  with  the  fly  at 
night,"  said  I,  when  the  guide  had  finished,  "but  never 
have  seen  it  done. 

"Well,    Frere,    haven't    you    had    enough    of    it?" 

"Yes,"  he  replied,  and,  satisfied  that  the  fish  were 
done,  we  repaired  to  our  camp,  and  soon  we  were  again 
stretched  upon  our  fragrant  bed  of  hemlock  boughs. 

*  Literally   from   my   notes   on   the   river. — E.  A.  S. 


54  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

The  camp  fire  with  ruddy  blaze  threw  a  circle  of  light 
upon  the  trees  around,  and  our  tent  was  illumined  brightly. 
The  flaps  were  thrown  open  sufficiently  to  give  us  a  good 
view  of  the  fire,  through  the  smoke  of  which  the  mos- 
quitoes did  not  pass  to  molest  us. 

"  I  don't  feel  sleepy,  notwithstanding  the  long,  hard 
pull  we've  had  all  day,"  said  I.  "  My  first  night  in  the 
woods  is  always  a  wakeful  one." 

"Yes,"  replied  Frere,  "the  novelty  of  the  thing  drives 
off  sleep,  but  what  a  delight  it  is  to  get  away  into  the 
wilderness  again,  and  free  from  the  conventionalities  of 
civilization.  I  wonder  if  it  is  the  old  savage  instinct  in 
our  nature  asserting  itself,  that  gives  us  such  enjoyment." 

"Possibly,"  I  replied,  "though  I  have  noticed  that  the 
most  poetic  natures,  those  of  the  highest  aesthetic  culture, 
enjoy  such  a  life,  or  rather  change  of  life  as  this,  as  fully 
as  the  least  cultivated.  It  is  difficult  to  say  wherein  the 
charm  lies.  So  far  as  I  am  concerned,  I  enjoy  my  out- 
ings in  the  wilderness  because  they  minister  to  all  there 
is  of  poetry  in  my  nature.  Angling,  my  chief,  in  fact  my 
almost  only  recreation,  is  an  art  that  I  love  most  fervidly. 
It  carries  me  out  as  now  into  the  arms  of  dear  Mother 
Nature.  It  takes  me  to  the  grand  old  forest  primeval, 
where  I  may  behold  the  glimmer  of  the  peaceful,  beauti- 
ful mountain  lake. 


56  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

"It  carries  me  where  I  may  inhale  the  delicious  odor 
of  the  balsam  and  the  hemlocks ;  where  I  may  hear  the 
rustle  and  purl  of  the  foliage-hidden  brook.  It  carries  me 
amidst  the  boil  and  roar  of  rapids  in  the  mighty  river. 
It  brings  to  me  the  song  of  forest  birds,  the  whispered 
fairy  stories  of  shimmering  leaves.  Yes,  it  gives  me  air 
these  sweet,  these  pure  enjoyments,  and  it  is  because  it 
<nves  me  them  that  I  love  it.  My  oreat  regret  is  that 

O  J          O  O 

more  of  our  young  men  and  young  women,  too,  for  that 
matter,  do  not  take  to  it.  Yes,  our  young  women.  Why 
not?  In  addition  to  the  pleasure  that  is  derived  from  the 
use  of  the  fly-rod,  it  furnishes  the  best  gymnasium,  the 
best  doctor,  the  best  cure  for  narrow  chests,  pallid  faces, 
weak  nerves  and  poor  digestions  to  be  found ;  and  if  our 
women  wish  the  enjoyment  of  perfect  health,  they  should 
give  their  attention  to  angling  with  the  fly.  I  have  met 
quite  a  number  of  ladies,  ladies  of  the  highest  respect- 
ability, who  could  cast  the  fly  gracefully,  beautifully ;  they 
were  adepts  at  the  art,  and  I  would  challenge  the  veriest 
stoic  to  gaze  upon  them  unmoved.  They  were  pictures  of 
beauty,  grace  and  vigor,  and  seeing  them,  I  always  wished 
that  the  art  might  be  more  popularized,  even  to  the  height 
of  being  recognized  as  an  accomplishment.  If  it  were, 
what  wonders  would  it  bring  about  in  building  up  con 
stitutions  which  would  be  a  glory  to  future  generations." 


58  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

"  Ha,  ha,  Doctor,"  exclaimed  Frere,  indulging  in  a 
quiet  laugh  at  my  fervor,  'it  is  queer  how  differently 
things  appear  to  different  people.  I  know  of  men  whose 
only  thought  from  the  time  they  begin  their  fishing  trips 
to  the  end  is  of  the  greatest  possible  number  of  fish  they 
may  capture.  The  beauties  of  nature,  the  opening  buds, 
the  lovely  flowers,  the  graceful  foliage  of  trees,  the  songs 
of  birds,  all  are  unnoticed  by  them.  Their  outings  are 
only  for  fish." 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "but  they  are  not,  in  my  opinion, 
true  anglers,  for  I  believe  that  your  fish  killer  par  excel- 
lence is  nothing  but  a  poacher,  and  thinly  disguised  at  that ; 
he  will  not  stop  at  methods  to  make  a  big  score,  and  if 
he  cannot  kill  with  the  fly — and  I  have  noticed  he  is  not 
particularly  enthusiastic  in  its  use — he  will  employ  almost 
any  instrument  that  will  add  to  his  string." 

"You're  right,  there,"  exclaimed  Hiram,  who,  with 
his  brother,  was  lying  near  the  fire  at  the  opening  of  the 
tent.  "I  was  out  with  one  of  the  'fish  killers'  last  year, 
and  when  the  saumon  in  the  pool  wouldn't  rise,  he  was 
wishing  for  a  jig  or  a  net,  and  even  said  he'd  give  five 
dollars  for  powder  or  dynamite  to  blow  them  up  with." 

"He  did  that,"  assented  William,  "and  he  got  so  bad 
in  the  end,  that  we  told  him  he  must  find  other  guides, 
for  we  must  leave  him  for  our  haying:" 


IVith    Fly -Rod   and    Camera.  59 

"On    what    river   was    that?"    asked    Frere. 

"Oh,  it  was  on  one  of  the  rivers  over  the  bay,"  re- 
plied Hiram.  "I  wouldn't  like  to  say  just  which,  for 
perhaps  you  would  know  the  man,  and  we  don't  \vant  to 
'give  him  away,'  but  it  is  true,  and  he  was  not  much 
worse  than  others  we  have  been  out  with." 

"Right  you  are,  Hiram,"  said  William,  "and  we  guides 
have  had  some  quare  [queer]  men  on  the  rivers,  and  many 
is  the  time  we  have  been  asked  if  we  couldn't  find  a 
sweep-net." 

"It's  aggravating  altogether,"  replied  Hiram,  "to  see 
fifty  or  sixty  big  fish  in  a  pool,  see  them  swimming  about 
as  unconcerned  as  sticks,  taking  no  notice  of  your  (lies, 
but  Happing  and  jumping  about  under  your  nose,  and 
sometimes  I've  agreed  with  the  fishermen  that  it's  mad- 
dening enough  for  most  anything,  but  it's  not  often  they 
will  not  come  to  their  senses  in  good  time." 

"It's  lucky  that  all  who  come  on  the  rivers  are  not 
so  crazy  for  fish,"  said  William,  "or  we  guides  would  go 
wild.  Sometimes  we  go  out  with  men  who  will  care  but 
little  for  the  fishing,  but  spend  almost  all  their  time  hunt- 
ing wild  flowers  and  plants,  and  some  are  after  strange 
rocks  and  stones,  and  now  and  then  one  is  hunting  birds' 
nests  and  birds.  Sometimes  we  have  been  out  with  fish- 
ermen who  cared  for  nothing  but  a  'lay  off,'  and  they 


60  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

drank  much  longer  than  they  fished  every  day.  Oh,  we've 
been  out  with  all  kinds,  on  different  rivers." 

"You  don't  get  much  variety  on  this  stream  at  all 
events,"  said  Frere,  "for  all  our  lessees  are  much  like 
the  Doctor  and  myself,  enthusiastic  fishermen,  but  'not 
crazy  fish  killers." 

"No,  this  river  is  lucky,  but  some  of  the  streams 
need  a  good  many  wardens,"  replied  William. 

"Yes,"  replied  Frere,  "you  are  right,  and  some  of 
the  most  important  ones  at  that.  Take  the  Miramichi 
waters,  they  are  all  fine  salmon  streams,  but  there  is  a 
vast  deal  of  poaching  and  unfair  fishing  done  on  them, 
and  the  number  of  wardens  or  overseers  should  be  trebled 
at  least." 

"I  have  never  fished  on  the  Miramichi  tributaries," 
said  I,  "except  during  the  outing  we  spent  together  on 
them.  1  hear  they  are  all  fine  streams." 

"They  are,"  said  Frere, "and  the  Southwest,  North- 
west, Little  Southwest  and  Sevogle  are  famous.  They 
are  early,  too,  the  fish  beginning  to  enter  them  about 
May  24,  and  continuing  to  pass  up  until  about  the  last 
of  September,  *  though  very  few  are  found  running  in 
August.  They  do  not  average  as  large  as  the  Resti- 
gouche  fish,  some  are  taken  of  twenty-five  pounds  weight, 

*  Frere  for  the  remainder  of  this  chapter  is  Philip  Cox,  Esq.,  of  Newcastle,  N.  B. 


62  IV it  I i    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

but  the  average  is  put  at  ten  pounds ;  they  are,  however, 
very  gamy,  and  afford  the  angler  excellent  sport." 

"I  suppose  there  are  a  good  many  taken,"  said  Hiram, 
throwing  a  fresh  log  on  the  fire,  and  lighting  his  pipe 
anew. 

"Yes,"  replied  Frere,  "the  Government  statistics  are 
very  full,  and  I  believe  accurate.  Last  year,  which  was 
but  an  average  one,  18,700  fish  were  exported  from  these 
rivers,  which,  averaging  ten  pounds,  would  give  a  total 
of  187,000  pounds.  In  addition  to  these,  large  quantities 
found  a  local  sale,  many  others  were  taken  by  anglers, 
and  a  great  many  more  by  poachers,  so  that  the  annual 
catch  must  be  over  20,000  fish." 

"About  what  time  does  fly-fishing  begin?"  asked 
William. 

"As  soon  as  the  spring  freshet  subsides,  and  the 
water  gets  clear,  which  is  about  the  tenth  or  twelfth  of 
June.  The  first  fish  are  taken  in  Big  Hole  on  the  North- 
west, twenty  miles  above  Newcastle,  and  eight  above  the 
head  of  the  tide.  This  is  one  of  the  finest  in  Canada, 
and  is  free  to  all.  You  remember,  Doctor,  we  fished 
there  a  few  years  ago.  All  the  salmon  frequenting  the 
main  river  and  the  Sevogle  pass  through  this  great  basin, 
and  seem  to  take  the  fly  well  after  leaving  the  brackish 
waters." 


IVith    Fly-Rod    and    Camera.  63 

"  I  suppose  there  are  a  good  many  good  angling 
pools  on  those  rivers,"  said  I,  when  Frere  had  finished. 

"Oh,  yes,  on  the  Little  Southwest  there  are  Black- 
more's  Rapids,  Blue  Stone,  North  Branch,  and  Main's 
Ledges,  in  all  of  which  more  or  less  salmon  are  killed 
each  year.  Big  Hole,  Dennis's  Pool,  Call's  Pool,  Camp 
Pool,  Ruddick's  Pool  and  Falls  Pool,  with  many  others, 
occur  on  the  main  Northwest,  but  with  the  exception  of 
the  first  two,  all  these  fishing  privileges  are  owned  by 
proprietors  of  the  soil. 

"The  chief  pool  on  the  Sevogle  is  the  Square  Forks, 
a  most  remarkable  looking  place,  well  worth  a  journey  to 
see.  The  Renous,  Dungamon  and  Southwest  have  also 
many  fine  pools." 

"Are    all    the    pools    easily    reached?" 

"  Many  are,  others  with  more  or  less  difficulty,  but 
all  are  accessible  to  the  angler  by  means  of  canoe  or 
portage  wagon." 

"Have  you  had  much  fly-fishing  on  those  streams?" 
asked  Hiram,  quite  interested  in  Frere's  account  of  waters 
that  were  comparatively  strange  to  him  and  his  brother. 

"Yes,"  replied  Frere,  "especially  on  the  Northwest 
and  Little  Southwest,  and  some  of  my  most  enjoyable 
outings  were  spent  there.  I  shall  never  forget  my  first 
trip  to  the  North  Branch  Pool.  It  was  some  years  ago, 


64  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

in  company  with  my  friend  Barker,  and  by  canoe.  The 
river  is  very  heavy,  rough,  full  of  rapids,  with  an  occa- 
sional fall,  and  is  seldom  ascended  by  any  but  Indians. 
We  were  young,  however,  strong,  and  full  of  spirit,  eager 
for  the  sport,  and  confident  we  could  perform  any  feat 
an  Indian  could.  We  had  no  sooner  entered  the  river 
at  Red  Bank  than  a  heavy  rain  set  in,  and  continued 
with  slight  intermissions  for  five  or  six  days,  swelling 
the  stream,  making  every  rapid  a  wild  torrent,  and  every 
fall  a  Niagara.  Luckily  we  took  along  a  coil  of  small 
rope,  which  we  attached  to  the  bow  bar  of  our  bark  canoe, 
and  one  going  ahead,  the  other  guiding  the  canoe  from 
the  shore  with  a  pole  which  was  provided  with  a  hook 
at  the  end,  we  waded  and  dragged,  and  tumbled,  foot- 
sore and  wet  to  the  skin,  for  seven  days  before  we  reached 
the  pool. 

"How  delighted  we  were  to  see  this  magnificent  basin! 
We  camped  by  its  shore,  and  for  ten  days  had  most  ex- 
cellent sport;  and  afterward  an  exciting  experience  shoot- 
ing the  rapids  and  falls  on  our  way  down.  We  killed 
many  salmon  and  grilse  on  that  trip." 

"What  do  you  consider  to  be  the  age  of  the  grilse?' 
I  asked.  "  I  have  had  many  discussions  with  fishermen  in 
relation  to  this  point." 

"I   can   only  guess   as  to  that,"   replied    Frere,    "they 


ISN'T  SHE  A  BKAUTY? 


66  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

are  young  salmon,  but  just  how  old,  I  am  in  doubt. 
Probably  a  four-pound  grilse  is  three  years  of  age,  but 
authorities  differ  on  this  point ;  some  say  two  years,  some 
three,  and  others  even  four,  but  I  doubt  the  latter.  The 
smolt  descends  to  the  sea,  probably  when  it  is  about 
eighteen  months  to  two  years  old,*  but  nothing  further 
of  its  movements  seems  to  be  known, f  until  its  return 
to  the  river  as  a  grilse. 

'••  \\ .  H.  Herbert  says:  "  Smolts,  as  it  now  appears,  in  their  second  year,  of 
six  or  seven  inches  length,  and  about  as  many  ounces  weight,  return  peal  or  grilse, 
varying  from  two  to  eight  pounds.  *  *  *  That  the  identical  smolt  of  six  or 
seven  ounces  do  return,  after  two  or  three  months'  absence  in  the  sea,  as  grilse  of 
as  many  pounds  weight,  is  proved  beyond  all  dispute,  smolts  innumerable  having 
been  taken,  marked  with  numbered  tickets  of  zinc  attached  to  the  rays  of  their 
dorsal  iins,  set  at  liberty,  and  recaptured  grilse,  varying  from  two  to  eight  pounds, 
in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year.  The  same  experiment  with  the  labels  unremoved, 
shows  that  the  same  grilse  descending  the  stream  of  unincreased  magnitude  in  the 
spring  of  his  third  year,  returns  in  that  third  autumn  a  (ish  of  sixteen  and  upward 
to  twenty-five  pounds  weight." 

f  G.  Brown  Goode  says  (in  the  Report  of  the  U.  S.  Fish  Commission,  1884); 
"In  two  months  the  fry  has  grown  to  an  inch  and  a  half,  and  begins  to  assume 
the  vermilion  spots  and  transverse  bars  or  fringe  marks  which  entitle  it  to  be  called 
a  'parr,'  and  which  it  retains  while  remaining  in  fresh  water,  sometimes  until  it  is 
seven  or  eight  inches  long.  It  continues  a  parr  until  the  second  or  third  spring, 
when,  in  preparation  for,  or  perhaps  in  consequence  of,  a  descent  toward  the  sea, 
a  uniform  bright  silvery  coat  is  assumed,  and  the  parr  becomes  a  'smolt.'  After 
remaining  from  four  to  twenty-eight  months  in  the  salt  water,  it  again  seeks  its 
native  river,  having  become  either  a  'grilse'  or  a  'salmon.'  The  grilse  is  the 
adolescent  salmon.  It  weighs  from  two  to  six  pounds,  and  is  more  slender  and 
graceful  than  the  mature  fish,  with  smaller  head,  thinner  scales,  more  forked  tail, 
and  spots  rounder,  more  numerous  and  bluish  rather  than  jetty  black.  The  two 
may  easily  be  distinguished,  even  though  both  should  be  of  the  same  size,  as  not 
infrequently  happens.  The  male  grilse  is  sexually  mature,  but  not  the  female  in 
America  ,  in  Europe  the  same  is  claimed  for  the  male  parr  and  the  female  grilse." 


A  DARK-COI.ORF.D  SEA-TROUT. 


68  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

"They  do  not  pass  the  interval  in  the  estuaries  and 
bays,  for  I  have  made  special  inquiry,  and  could  never 
learn  of  one  having  been  taken  in  any  of  the  numerous 
smelt  nets  during  the  winter ;  nor  have  I  ever  heard  of 
one  being  picked  up  dead  along  the  seashore.  They  seem 
to  retire  to  deep  water,  probably  far  from  the  coast. 
When  they  are  about  three  and  a  half  pounds  in  weight 
they  return  to  the  rivers,  and  they  are  then  universally 
known  as  grilse.  As  you  know,  they  are  long,  slender 
fellows,  as  bright  as  silver  and  very  active." 

"Did  you  ever  see  a  female  grilse,  sir?"  asked  Hiram. 

"No,"  replied  Frere,  "the  most  curious  thing  is  they 
are  all  male  fish.  Thousands  have  been  taken  in  our 
rivers,  but  there  is  no  record  of  a  female." 

"So  I  have  heard,"  said  I.  "It  is  very  singular. 
How  do  you  account  for  it?" 

"I  cannot,"  replied  Frere,  "the  males  probably  mature 
earlier  than  the  females,  for  they  all  contain  sperm,  and 
so  do  the  smolt  for  that  matter." 

"But   where    are    the    females    of    the    same   age?" 

"Ah,  now  you  have  me,  I  don't  know ;  but  little  is 
understood  of  their  habits.  They  are  probably  in  the 
sea,  but  why  herring,  bass  and  mackerel  nets  fail  to  take 
one  now  and  then,  passes  my  comprehension,  considering 
the  size,  depth  and  abundance  of  these  seines." 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  69 

"Grilse   give    capital    sport." 

"Yes,  the  little  fellows  take  the  fly  readily,  and  for 
eight  or  ten  minutes  are  very  lively,  leaping  clear  of  the 
water  several  times  in  rapid  succession,  and  making  long, 


strong    runs. 


"When,  in  your  experience,  do  the  salmon  take  the 
fly  best,  Frere?"  asked  I.  "You  have  had  good  chances 
for  observation,  for  you  have  fished  in  most  of  the  rivers 
in  this  Province." 

"Generally  when  they  first  enter  the  river,  or  reach 
the  pools ;  after  remaining  a  few  weeks  in  fresh  water, 
they  get,  as  you  know,  sluggish  and  shy.  They  are,  how- 
ever, very  capricious,  and  it  is  difficult  to  lay  down  any 
general  rule." 

"I  have  fished  with  a  good  many  anglers,"  said  I, 
"and  have  noticed  that  there  is  a  good  deal  of  differ- 
ence in  the  way  they  drag  the  fly.  Have  you  ever  seen 
them  skip  the  lure  lightly  on  the  surface,  as  if  fishing 
for  trout?  I  have  seen  it  done  in  some  of  the  Nova 
Scotia  rivers,  and  successfully. 

"Some  fish  thus,  and  on  a  few  streams  I  understand 
it  is  the  most  killing  way;  but  the  majority  allow  their 
flies  to  sink  a  little,  and  draw  them  by  a  series  of  short, 
sharp  pulls.  The  longer  the  fish  are  in  the  fresh  water 
the  more  timid  they  become,  and  you  will  often  see  them 


70  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

following  your  fly  from  mere  curiosity.  In  such  cases,  if 
the  lure  is  drawn  rapidly,  as  if  it  were  acting  of  its  own 
volition  in  endeavoring  to  escape  from  the  fish,  the  sal- 
mon will  frequently  make  a  dash  at  it  and  hook  itself." 

"Every  angler  has  his  favorite  flies,"  said  I,  after  a 
short  pause,  "which  do  you  prefer?" 

"A  good  deal,  as  you  know,  depends  on  the  river 
and  season,  and  the  condition  of  the  water,"  replied  Frere. 
I  depend  a  good  deal  on  the  standards,  such  as  the 
butcher,  Durham  ranger,  Nickerson,  Jock  Scott,  fairy,  etc., 
but  they  should,  late  in  the  season,  be  of  smaller  sizes 
than  in  the  early  fishing.  I  have  known  of  excellent 
sport  being  had  with  a  tiny  Jock  Scott,  when  a  large 
fly  failed  to  get  a  rise.  I  was  once  on  the  Jacquet 
River  [N.  B.  ]  with  my  friend  F.  M.  McLeod.  We  were 
fishing  I7 ranker's  [Francois]  Pool  about  the  first  of  Aug- 
ust. We  had  killed  some  fine  fish  in  the  evening,  but 
on  the  next  morning  not  the  least  attention  was  paid  to 
our  flies,  though  fish  were  rising  all  over  the  pool,  ap- 
parently after  small  insects  which  we  observed  floating  on 
the  surface  of  the  water. 

"Somewhat  disgusted,  I  betook  myself  to  fly-tying 
after  breakfast,  while  Mac,  who  is  a  most  persistent  ang- 
ler, continued  to  whip  away.  In  about  an  hour  he  came 
to  the  tent  and  said,  '  Cox,  it  beats  all !  They  are  rising 


72  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

» 

all  around  me,  flirting-  their  tails,  and  showing  their  con- 
tempt for  my  efforts  ! ' 

"'Are    the    little    flies    still    on    the    water?'    I    asked. 

"'Oh,  yes,  they  are,'  he  replied,  'don't  you  think 
you  could  make  a  fly  resembling  them?' 

"  '  It  would  be  too  small,  I  fear,  to  kill  with,  even 
if  a  fish  should  take  it;  but  look  here,  Mac/  said  I, 
opening  the  fly-book  in  which  were  some  tiny  English 
midges,  'are  they  like  any  of  these?' 

"  '  Here  it  is,'  replied  Mac,  selecting  a  specimen  not 
as  large  as  a  house  fly,  'I'll  take  down  their  impudence 
with  this,'  and  away  he  went,  while  I  resumed  my  work. 
In  a  few  minutes  I  heard  him  shout,  and  hastily  run- 
ning to  the  pool,  I  saw  a  salmon  spring  into  the  air, 
and  heard  Mac  shout,  'I've  got  him!' 

'"With    what    fly,    Mac?' 

"'With    the    midge,'    he   answered,    'at    my    first    cast.' 

"  WThir-r-r,  went  the  reel,  as  the  fish  dashed  toward 
the  head  of  the  pool.  How  could  that  tiny  hook  stand 
such  a  strain?  Up  went  the  salmon  again  into  the  air, 
his  bright  sides  glistening  like  silver  in  the  morning  sun. 
How  delighted  was  Mac  upon  reeling  in  to  find  him  still 
fast.  Could  he  land  that  fish  with  such  delicate  tackle, 
he  would  perform  a  feat  unparalleled  in  the  annals  of 
angling. 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  73 

"  Whir-r-r,  went  the  reel  again,  as  the  fish  broke  across 
the  current  for  the  rocks  on  the  other  side,  putting  a 
heavy  strain  on  the  line,  and  just  as  it  was  the  greatest, 
the  salmon  flung  himself  out  of  the  water.  Again  Mac 
reeled  in,  but,  alas!  the  fine  hook  gut  had  parted." 

"Salmon  soon  get  acquainted  with  common  flies/' 
said  I,  "and  when  the  pool  is  whipped  often,  will  fail 
to  respond." 

"Yes,"  replied  Frere,  "it  is  the  experience  of  all  fish- 
ermen. Let  me  give  you  an  instance.  I  was  almost  out 
of  patience  one  morning  at  Blue  Stone.  I  had  been 
casting  for  over  an  hour,  without  getting  a  rise,  though 
there  were  many  fish  in  the  pool.  Big  Peter,  my  Mic- 
mac  guide,  said  that  if  he  had  a  crow  wing  he  could 
make  a  fly  they'd  take.  'See,'  he  exclaimed,  with  much 
emphasis,  'all  white  men  usum  flies  all  same,  salmon 
knowum.  New  kind  he  no  seeum  'fore,  him  come  look- 
um  over.' 

"I  was  ready  for  any  change,  and  as  I  invariably 
carry  my  fly-making  materials  along,  and  had  a  few  black 
feathers,  I  was  soon  shaping  an  unsightly  monster.  At 
the  end  of  half  an  hour  he  was  ready,  and  no  sooner 
did  I  cast  my  nigger  adrift  than  there  was  a  great  de- 
sire manifested  by  the  hitherto  careless  fish  to  inspect 
the  odd  stranger  at  close  quarters;  finally,  one,  making 


74  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

a  little  too  free,  was  seized  by  the  single  tooth  of  the 
'darky,'  and  the  grip  was  maintained  until  the  fish  was 

V 

brought  to  gaff.  Five  successive  salmon  were  hooked 
and  landed  by  that  fly  before  I  stopped,  and  the  inval- 
uable hint  I  had  received  from  a  poor  Indian  has  proved 
of  great  service  to  me  on  many  occasions  since  I  re- 
ceived it." 

"Ha,  ha!"  exclaimed  Hiram,  who  had  been  listening 
attentively,  "you  beat  the  salmon  that  time." 

"Have  you  ever  noticed  any  peculiarities  of  habit  in 
salmon  selecting  positions  in  a  pool?"  I  asked,  "they  seem 
to  be  guided  by  certain  preferences,  and  in  certain  stages 
of  the  water  lie  almost  always  in  particular  spots." 

"I  can't  say  I  have,"  replied  Frere,  "other  than  that 
you  speak  of.  They  are  very  capricious,  but  always  so- 
ciable ;  where  one  settles  all  settle.  As  a  general  thing 
they  prefer  the  strong  water  near  the  head  of  the  pool, 
especially  if  there  are  bottom  rocks,  forming  resting  eddies. 
If  these  rocks  are  absent,  the  fish  are  often  found  near 
the  tail  of  the  basin,  hardly  ever  in  the  very  middle  of 
the  current,  but  almost  always  a  little  to  one  side  or  the 
other. 

"One  curious  freak  of  this  fish  I've  observed  on  many 
occasions  which  is  worth  speaking  of,  for  anglers  are  not 
generally  aware  of  it.  When  salmon  meet  with  a  little 


j6  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

fall,  they  will  frequently  lie  for  some  time  in  the  basin 
before  attempting  to  scale  it.  If  the  river  is  small,  they 
are  almost'  certain  to  refuse  the  fly.  After  scaling  the 
height,  the  fish  for  some  unexplained  reason  linger  in  the 
swift  water  on  the  lip,  and  often  have  I  raised  and  hooked 
them  on  the  rushing  incline,  so  close,  indeed,  to  the  fall, 
that  it  seemed  a  mystery  how  they  maintained  their  posi- 
tion. Here  again  the  social  instinct  may  be  the  cause, 
one  or  more  lingering  until  joined  by  others." 

"It  is  quite  generally  believed  that  salmon  never  eat 
anything  in  fresh  water;  what  is  your  opinion?" 

"  I  have  never  found  any  food  in  salmon  taken  with 
the  fly,"  replied  Frere. 

"Why,    then,    do    they    rise    for    it?" 

"  I  cannot  tell.  The  idea  of  many  is  that  they  are 
affected  in  some  strange  way  by  colors,  just  as  we  know 
certain  birds  and  quadrupeds  are." 

"My  idea  is  that  they. chase  the  fly  mostly  in  sport," 
said  I.  "I  don't  believe  that  generally  they  seize  it  for 
food,  although  I  believe  that  in  the  lower  pools  of  rivers, 
the  fish  just  from  the  salt  water  in  which  they  fed  eagerly 
upon  shrimp  and  other  crustaceans,  will  feed  upon  min- 
nows ;  and  in  fact  I  have  heard  of  cases  of  the  fish  having 
been  taken  with  shrimp,  even  in  pools  well  up  the  river, 
and  a  fly  tied  to  resemble  a  shrimp  is  very  killing." 


78  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

"  Black  salmon  or  kelts,  those  fish  that  after  spawn- 
ing remain  all  winter  in  the  river  instead  of  returning 
to  the  sea,  will  take  any  bait  in  the  spring,"  said  Frere. 
"They  are  lean  and  lank,  and  the  flesh  is  quite  unfit 
for  food,  as  it  is  soft,  brittle,  entirely  devoid  of  the  pink- 
ish color,  and  when  cooked  the  smell  is  often  repulsive. 
These  fish  are  as  hungry  as  spring  bears,  and  voracious 
as  vultures ;  they  snap  eagerly  at  anything,  from  a  trout 
fly  to  a  pork  rind,  and  feed  freely  on  the  spring  smelt 
which  are  ascending  the  rivers  to  spawn,  but  I  do  not 
believe  that  salmon  ordinarily,  those  which  have  left  the 
sea,  and  ascended  to  the  river  to  spawn,  feed  while  in 
the  fresh  water." 

"I've  been  told  by  fishermen  on  the  coast  that  the 
saumon  eat  small  fish  when  in  the  salt  water,"  said  Hiram. 

"I  have  no  doubt  they  do,"  replied  Frere.  "Messrs. 
Hogan  and  Wyse,  Dominion  Fishery  Overseers  on  the 
Miramichi,  have  informed  me  of  capelin  and  sometimes 
smelt  being  found  in  their  stomachs  when  first  entering 
the  bay.  I  think  they  must  be  voracious  feeders  while 
in  the  sea,  and  until  the  instinct  seizes  them  to  ascend 
the  rivers  to  spawn ;  after  that,  like  bears  in  hibernation, 
they  subsist  upon  their  own  fat." 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "they  must  be  great  feeders,  for 
they  increase  in  size  and  weight  wonderfully  in  a  very 


THE  DIFFERENCE  BETWEEN  A  FKESH-RVN  SALMON  AND  A  "SLINK"  OR  "KELT." 


8o  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

short  period,  for  instance :  A  kelt  weighing  ten  pounds 
was  marked,  and  returned  to  the  river,  in  the  lower  part 
of  which  it  was  again  caught  after  a  lapse  of  five  weeks 
and  two  days,  and  it  was  found  to  weigh  over  twenty 
pounds.  But,  Frere,  it's  growing  late,  and  I  propose  that 
the  tent  be  smudged  out,  and  that  we  turn  in." 

"Agreed,"  replied  my  friend,  and  in  a  very  short 
time  we  were  lost  in  slumber,  which  comes  so  easily  and 
so  sweetly  to  the  tired  fisherman. 


CHAPTER    II. 


AN  EARLY  CAST.  •  SILVER  DOCTORS.  •  COVER  THE  WATER  THOROUGHLY.  •  A 
BIG  SEA  TROUT.  •  LIVELY  TIMES.  •  How  TO  COOK  A  TROI*T.  •  AN 
ADMIRABLE  CAST.  •  ANOTHER  SALMON  HOOKED  AND  LOST.  •  "FLY  P'ISON" 
IN  DEMAND.  •  BLACK  FLIES  ON  THE  MAGALLOWAV.  •  A  Rouen  EXPERI- 
ENCE. •  PLAYING  A  DRIFT  TREE  Top.  •  Two  FISH  HOOKED  AND  BOTH 
SAVED.  •  A  GREAT  STRUGGLE.  •  THE  CUP  THAT  CHEERS.  •  WE  ASCEND 
TO  THE  FIFTH  POOL.  •  QUEER  CHARACTERS  \\iio  Go  A-FISHING.  •  A  MAN 
WHO  WANTED  THE  EARTH.  •  JEALOUSY.  •  LAKE  AND  SPOTTED  OR  BROOK 
TROUT  COMPARED.  •  KILLING  A  TOGUE  ON  THE  FLY.  •  SCHOODIC  FISHING 
IN  OLD  TIMES.  •  PICTURESQUE  SEA  COAST  OF  MAINE.  •  LAND-LOCKED 
SALMON.  •  DUCKS  IN  ABUNDANCE.  •  A  LIVELY  FISH.  •  HOOKING  A  PAIR 
OF  LAND-LOCKS.  •  TROLLING  FOR  SALMON.  •  PICKEREL  FISHING.  •  How 
TO  MAKE  A  BARK  CAMP.  •  "Fisn  KILLERS."  •  INDIAN  TRADITIONS.  •  A 
PLENTY  OF  LAND-LOCKS  LEFT. 


I  ^HE  mellow,  flute -like  song  of  the  hermit  thrush 
-*-  awoke  me  before  sunrise  on  the  following  morn- 
ing. Nudging  my  friend  to  arouse  him,  I  stepped  out- 
side the  tent.  The  camp  fire  had  burned  out,  nothing 
of  it  remaining  but  a  few  black  embers.  The  two  guides 
were  sound  asleep  under  their  blankets,  the  heavy  cover- 
ing being  pulled  up  over  their  heads  completely. 


82  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

Taking  our  rods,  Frere  and  I  stepped  past  the  sleep- 
ing men  on  our  way  to  the  pool ;  they  awoke  instantly, 
however,  for  your  bush  sleeper  is  easily  awakened.  With 
a  big  yawn  they  arose  and  began  to  move  about  their 
camp  duties,  the  first  of  which  being  invariably  filling  and 
lighting  their  pipes. 

"What  sort  of  day  is  it  to  be?"  I  asked  of  Hiram, 
as  I  prepared  my  tackle  for  a  cast  at  the  foot  of  the 
pool,  Frere  having  gone  to  the  head. 

Hiram  gave  a  look  at  the  mist  which  completely  en- 
veloped the  forest  about  us,  and  then  at  the  drenched 
leaves  which  trembled  slightly  in  the  faint  breeze. 

"Oh,  it'll  be  bright  enough  by  and  by,"  he  replied, 
"the  wind  is  sou'west,  and  the  webs  are  plenty."  As  he 
spoke  he  pointed  to  the  gossamer  webs  which  had  been 
spun  on  the  bushes  and  brakes  and  weeds  about  us. 

It  is  an  almost  invariable  sign,  that  if  gossamer  webs 
are  abundant  in  the  morning,  the  day  will  be  fair. 

"Well,  Hiram,"  said  I,  "here's  for  luck,"  and  I  began 
casting  above  the  rapids  at  the  foot  of  the  pool. 

"Luck  to  you!"  he  replied,  and  returned  to  the  camp, 
where  his  axe  was  soon  heard  busy  in  preparing  wood  for 
the  breakfast  fire. 

The  morning  was  dark,  and  the  mist  hung  so  heavy 
above  the  pool,  that  I  could  but  indistinctly  see  Frere, 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  83 

who  was  at  work  at  the  upper  end.  For  my  own  fly  I 
had  my  favorite,  a  silver  doctor.  It  is  a  fly  with  which 
I  can  do  better  work  than  with  any  other,  in  all  waters 
and  with  all  fish. 

Now  silver  doctors  are  to  be  met  with  in  most  varied 
forms.  At  one  time  I  had  upward  of  four  dozen  of  them 
in  my  books,  that  I  had  gathered  here  and  there,  and 
hardly  two  of  them  were  alike.  If  the  body  is  silver 
tinsel,  it  matters  but  little,  in  the  opinion  of  many  tyers, 
how  the  rest  of  the  fly  is  made,  and  the  result  is  that 
when  one  speaks  of  this  fly  he  conveys  but  a  vague 
meaning.  I  have  silver  doctors  with  whole  wings  and 
with  made  wings ;  with  all  kinds  of  hackles  and  with 
none  at  all,  and  with  tails  and  without. 

My  favorite  style  is  made  with  pure  silver  tinsel  body 
-  no  other  is  worth  using.  The  tail  consists  of  two 
or  three  webs  of  a  widgeon's  or  teal's  mottled  feather, 
together  with  the  same  number  of  webs  of  the  ruff  of 
the  golden  pheasant.  I  like  a  small  hackle  on  a  silver 
doctor,  and  if  I  were  to  have  a  dozen  tied,  should  have 
three  each  with  gray,  brown,  yellow  and  black  hackles. 
Not  heavy,  but  nice  neat  hackles. 

Doubtless  some  one  will  say,  "Ah,  but  that's  not  my 
idea  of  a  silver  doctor  at  all."  "All  right,"  I  reply,  "it's 
mine ;  I  want  a  small  hackle  on  it." 


84  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

Now  for  wings.  I  don't  like  whole  wings,  that  is, 
wings  made  of  whole  feathers,  but  prefer  made  ones, 
those  which  are  made  of  varied  fibers  selected  from  many 
feathers,  among  them  always  a  few  shreds  of  the  mottled 
feather  of  the  widgeon  or  teal,  two  good  feathers  from 
the  ruff  of  the  golden  pheasant,  and  over  all,  two  or  three 
good  sprays  from  the  crest  of  the  same  bird. 

Above  all,  I  want  the  fly  tied  so  hard  and  firmly 
that  I  cannot  move  it  at  all  on  the  hook.  If  it  is  loosely 
tied,  it  soon  becomes  worthless,  in  fact  it  is  unsafe,  for 
the  hook  is  likely  to  pull  out  with  the  first  fish.  I  al- 
ways reject  a  fly  that  is  not  stiff,  or  which  is  at  all  mov- 
able on  the  hook.  It  is  an  expensive  fly,  such  as  I  have 
described,  but  it  is  the  most  killing  in  existence.  The 
silver  doctor  commonly  sold  is  a  cheap  affair  compared 
with  this,  but  deliver  me  from  such  and  all  other  cheap 
flies.  I  always  prefer  to  have  mine  "tied  to  pattern," 
and  do  not  accept  any  which  will  not  stand  a  rigid  scru- 
tiny. 

I  began  casting  with  a  short  line,  my  invariable  habit, 
and  worked  further  and  further  out  into  the  pool  with 
every  few  casts.  I  believe  in  covering  thoroughly  every 
foot  of  water  as  I  go.  Your  salmon  does  not  always 
lie  away  off  in  the  pool,  and  it  is  much  better  to  strike 
your  fish  on  a  short  line  than  a  long  one,  particularly  if 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  85 

you  are  lifting  for  a  back  cast.  A  single  instance  will 
illustrate  this.  I  had  been  fishing  the  upper  end  of  a 
pool,  and  had  worked  down  to  nearly  the  foot ;  I  had 
a  long  line  out,  so  as  to  reach  the  further  shore,  and 
had  carelessly  allowed  it  for  a  moment  to  swing  in  the 
eddy.  As  I  lifted  for  another  cast,  I  noticed  that  my 
fly  was  hardly  ten  feet  from  me.  When  I  gave  the  lift 
the  fly  swung  in,  and  at  that  instant  a  salmon,  that  had 
been  lying  beside  a  boulder  almost  at  my  feet,  rose  and 
took  the  lure. 

Of  course  the  tip  of  my  rod  went  to  "smithereens" 
on  the  instant,  and  the  salmon  "hooked  off."  Yes,  I 
always  cover  the  water  thoroughly  as  I  go,  and  do  not 
lengthen  my  line  until  I  have  had  my  fly  all  over  the 
surface  in  my  reach. 

Frere  was  busy  at  his  end  of  the  pool,  but  saving 
a  few  trout  which  he  shook  off  his  fly  without  disturbing 
the  water,  he  had  got  no  rises. 

I  also  got  a  few  trout  up,  but  did  not  hook  them, 
for  we  were  after  salmon,  and  the  flouncing  of  a  few 
trout  on  the  surface  of  the  water  is  sufficient,  generally, 
to  keep  salmon  from  rising. 

It  is  quite  a  "knack,"  that  the  salmon  fisherman  ac- 
quires, to  shake  off  a  trout  that  has  seized  his  fly,  without 
"stirring  up  the  water,"  as  the  expression  goes,  but  it  is 


86  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

a  necessary  accomplishment.  Occasionally  one  will  hook 
the  trout  so  firmly  that  it  must  be  landed,  and  then  the 
better  way  is  to  waste  no  time  but  to  drag  it  as  expe- 
ditiously  as  possible  bodily  through  the  water,  and  up  on 
the  beach.  The  pool  is  thus  disturbed  but  little,  for  the 
fish  is  landed  before  it  has  a  chance  to  flounce  about. 

1  had  been  casting  for  fully  ten  minutes,  during  which 
I  had  successfully  shaken  off  two  or  three  small  sea  trout, 
and  was  just  on  the  point  of  casting  over  to  an  eddy 
across  the  pool,  below  a  huge  boulder  that  rose  from 
the  depths,  when  a  large  sea  trout  took  my  fly,  and  with 
a  splash  and  a  plunge,  down  he  went  to  the  bottom,  and 
into  the  eddy  that  I  had  been  essaying  to  reach. 

Away  spun  the  line,  my  reel  shrieking  to  me  discord- 
antly just  then,  my  rod  bending  in  a  circle  with  my  ef- 
forts to  keep  the  trout  from  disturbing  the  salmon. 

But  in  vain !  A  large  sea  trout  is  a  very  strong 
fish  and  active  withal,  and  I  could  not  check  mine  even 
with  the  full  strain  of  my  rod.  Suddenly,  from  the  depths 
of  the  pool  where  the  trout  was  darting  about,  out  sprang 
a  salmon,  a  goodly  fish,  leaping  several  feet  into  the  air, 
and  falling  back  with  a  tremendous  splash. 

Another  near  by  also  sprang  out,  and  the  guides  who 
had  joined  me,  and  who  supposed  that  the  leaping  fish 
was  fast  to  my  hook,  exclaimed : 


88  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

"  He's  a  lively  fish,  sure !  Mind,  Doctor,  or  you'll 
lose  him." 

Frere,  who  also  came  to  my  side,  said,  "You  are 
giving  him  too  much  strain." 

"Giving  the  Old  Harry  too  much  strain,"  I  exclaimed, 
"I've  only  got  a  pesky  trout  on." 

"Oh!  that's  no  trout,"  said  Hiram,  flourishing  the 
gaff,  "sure  we  saw  him  twiste  |  twice],  'twas  a  saumon 
and  a  good  one,  too." 

"Yes,  but  he  is  not  hooked,  confound  him,"  I  re- 
plied, reeling  in  the  trout  that  was  now  about  tired  out. 

"There  he  goes  again!"  shouted  William,  but  this 
time  they  plainly  saw  that  the  salmon  was  leaping  in 
fright,  and  not  with  my  rly  in  his  mouth. 

The  truth  was  that  the  trout  in  swimming  about, 
had  run  the  casting  line  against  two  or  three  of  the 
salmon,  which,  doubtless  fearing  a  net,  or  some  other  of 
man's  snares,  leaped  to  avoid  them.  A  salmon  is  as  sus- 
picious and  as  shy  as  a  crow,  and  the  least  disturbance 
or  noise  or  molestation  will  put  it  on  the  qui  vive. 

It  is  not  at  all  uncommon  for  the  casting  line  to  strike 
a  fish  in  the  pool,  when  it  is  fast  to  another,  and  I  have 
more  than  once  had  my  hooked  salmon  send  several  into 
the  air  by  rubbing  the  line  against  them. 

We   landed   the   trout,   and    killed    it.       It   was   only  of 


With    Fly -Rod    arid    Camera.  89 

about  three  pounds  weight,  but  it  was  very  strong  for  its 
size. 

Of  course  after  such  a  disturbance  we  concluded  that 
we  had  better  rest  the  pool  a  while,  and  as  breakfast  was 
soon  to  be  ready,  we  laid  aside  our  rods,  and,  after  a 
wash,  repaired  to  the  camp,  at  which  the  guides  were 
busy  preparing  our  morning  meal.  And  such  a  royal 
breakfast  as  it  was !  and  such  appetites  as  we  had  when 
we  sat  down  to  it !  Boiled  sea  trout,  fried  grilse,  boiled 
potatoes,  pilot  bread  and  butter ;  listen,  fried  onions,  and 
coffee  with  condensed  milk. 

Boiled  sea  trout  is,  gastronomically,  in  my  estimation, 
the  most  delicate  of  all  fish.  Nothing  can  compare  with 
its  delicacy,  yet  richness,  of  flavor.  It  should  be  cooked 
and  eaten  as  soon  as  possible  after  it  is  killed,  for  it  soon 
deteriorates  and  becomes  insipid. 

No  other  way  of  cooking  than  boiling  brings  the  sea 
trout  to  the  epicure  in  all  its  excellence,  and  in  fact  this 
is  true  of  most  fish. 

A  fried  sea  trout  is  not  nearly  as  acceptable,  and  I 
do  not  fancy  one  broiled,  although  broiling  is  better  than 
frying.  Next  in  my  opinion  to  the  sea  trout  comes  the 
grilse,  and  that  is  also  better  boiled  than  fried. 

Never  shall  I  forget  the  exquisite  enjoyment  with 
which  one  of  these  fish  was  eaten  on  a  certain  occasion. 


9°  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

We  had  been  in  the  canoe  four  or  five  hours  in  a 
chilly  drizzle  of  a  rain,  through  which  we  saw  the  sun 
only  for  a  few  minutes  during  the  entire  clay. 

We  were  descending  one  of  the  Canadian  rivers,  our 
party  consisting  of  one  of  my  friends,  myself,  and  our 
two  guides  or  canoemen,  all  in  one  large  canoe.  . 

Tired  we  were  and  hungry,  for  we  had  been  running 
rapids  and  fishing  the  glorious  pools  that  lay  between 
them  all  the  time,  and  such  work  gets  up  a  wonderful 
appetite.  At  last  the  " arret-la"  was  spoken,  and  we 
came  to  a  landing  place.  Hauling  the  canoe  upon  the 
pebbly  shore,  our  men  soon  had  a  fire  started  and  the 
tea  kettle  steaming. 

Taking  from  the  canoe  a  grilse  weighing  about  four 
pounds,  and  cutting  up  the  rich  blood-red  meat,  they 
cooked  it  in  the  frying  pan,  using  but  very  little  fat, 
that  contained  in  the  tissues  of  the  fish  being  sufficient. 

The  fresh-caught  fish  thus  cooked  was  of  delicious 
sweetness,  and  the  meat  was  firm,  nutty,  and  with  just 
the  right  degree  of  richness.  Yes,  that  was  a  fish  ever 
to  be  remembered ;  it  was  eaten  with  exactly  the  right 
sauce,  and  under  the  right  circumstances.  Many  a  time 
have  I  eaten  my  fresh -caught  salmon  or  trout  by  the 
camp  fire  in  the  woods,  but  it  seems  to  me  that  none 
other  ever  tasted  like  that  particular  grilse. 


With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera.  91 

Hiram,  as  an  accompaniment  to  my  fish,  gave  me 
two  boiled  potatoes,  and  such  potatoes !  Early  Rose  they 
were,  which  had  been  grown  on  newly  cleared  land,  called 
"burned  land,"  because  it  had  been  lately  burned  over. 
Unless  one  has  eaten  such  potatoes,  he  knows  nothing  of 
what  constitutes  a  good  one.  Mealy  it  is  to  the  extent 
of  almost  falling  apart  in  a  powder  when  its  "jacket"  is 
removed,  and  so  sweet  and  delicate !  No  other  potato 
can  compare  with  the  "burned  land"  potato. 

After  disposing  of  our  substantial  and  abundant  break- 
fast, a  smoke  was  of  course  the  first  thing  to  be  attended 
to.  Ah  !  what  a  comfort  one  takes  with  his  pipe  or  cigar 
after  a  hearty  meal  in  the  woods!  Could  anything  be 
accepted  as  a  substitute  for  it?  Could  anything  replace 
it?  I  doubt  it. 

Very  soon  Frere  was  busying  himself  in  overhauling 
his  fly-book,  and  arranging  his  flies,  taking  such  comfort 
out  of  the  operation  as  only  your  enthusiastic  angler  can 
find.  At  length  he  arose  from  his  recumbent  position, 
exclaiming,  "Well,  Doctor,  this  is  not  business,"  and  tak- 
ing his  rod  he  proceeded  to  the  pool,  where  I  soon  joined 
him. 

The  mists  that  had  hung  low  above  the  river  had 
been  dispelled,  and  the  sun  was  shining  brightly  through 
the  patches  of  blue  which  showed  now  and  then  through 


92  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

the  golden  and  roseate  clouds  which  were  drifting  away 
to  the  east. 

A  light  breeze  was  moving,  just  strong  enough  to 
ripple  the  surface  of  the  pool  to  that  degree  which  one 
so  much  desires,  and  the  indications  were  good  for  a  sat- 
isfactory day's  sport. 

Frere  began  casting  about  midway  from  the  head  of 
the  pool,  and  getting  out  a  long  line  was  soon  reaching 
well  over  to  the  further  shore. 

I  took  a  seat  upon  an  old  log  on  the  crest  of  the 
beach  and  watched  my  friend  at  his  work ;  for  next  to 
casting  the  fly  myself,  I  love  to  see  another  engaged  in 
the  fascinating  recreation. 

How  gracefully,  and  with  what  a  true  and  even  sweep 
the  line  rolled  along  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  uncoiling 
itself,  as  it  were,  with  an  uniform  motion,  the  casting  line 
or  leader  taking  up  the  same  sweep,  until  the  fly  dropped 
upon  the  water  as  lightly  as  would  the  living  insect. 

It  is  a  great  acquirement  to  cast  the  fly  as  Frere 
did,  and  I  have  seen  but  few  who  attained  to  equal  pro- 
ficiency. I  have  fished  with  scores  of  different  anglers 
in  my  time,  and  after  watching  their  work,  varied  as  it 
has  been,  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  adepts  at 
fly-casting  with  the  two-handed  rod  are  "few  and  far  be- 
tween." 


94  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

There  is  an  indescribable  motion  of  the  rod,  which 
is  made  in  the  forward  stroke  or  delivery,  that  acts  upon 
the  line  in  such  a  way  that  it  seems  to  be  but  a  con- 
tinuation of  the  rod  itself,  and  the  same  bends  and  curve 
of  the  rod  are  followed  by  the  whole  length  of  the  line, 
which,  as  it  falls  upon  the  water,  seems  to  unroll  itself 
its  whole  length,  permitting  the  fly  to  drop  softly  and 
noiselessly. 

In  a  number  of  casts  I  can  get  this  motion  a  few 
times,  but  I  am  not  always  certain  of  it,  and  my  ex- 
perience extends  over  thirty  years. 

I  can  get  out  and  handle  as  good  a  length  of  line 
as  the  average,  and  can  drop  a  fairly  neat  fly,  but  des- 
pair of  being  an  expert  in  making  what  I  call  a  rolling 
cast.*  A  very  great  deal  depends  upon  the  exact  balance 
of  the  rod  and  line. 

In  every  book  on  fishing  that  I  have  read,  and  I 
have  quite  a  number  of  them  in  my  library,  are  given 
instructions,  more  or  less  elaborate,  in  casting;  but  I  have 
never  read  any  yet  that  supplied  information  which  would 
enable  a  novice  to  become  even  a  passable  fisherman. 

Practice,  much  practice,  is  a  requisite,  but  no  practice 
in  my  opinion  can  compare  with  that  which  one  has  on 
the  pool  where  he  knows  the  fish  are  lying 

*  The    '   Spey''    of    writers. 


With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera.  95 

Some  writers  recommend  practicing  on  the  lawn,  but 
this  is  of  very  little  value  except  in  familiarizing  one  with 
the  action  of  his  rod. 

To  lay  out  a  line  neatly  and  smoothly  on  the  water 
and  recover  it  in  good  style  is  one  thing ;  it  is  quite 
another  to  do  it  on  a  grass  plat. 

Frere  continued  at  his  work,  covering  all  the  water 
as  he  moved  toward  the  foot  of  the  pool. 

Gradually  he  drew  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  eddy  on 
the  other  side ;  that  from  which  the  salmon  had  leaped 
when  my  sea  trout  created  such  a  commotion. 

At  length  his  fly  dropped  in  a  curl  of  the  water  near 
a  rock  that  showed  faintly  beneath  the  surface ;  motion- 
less it  remained  an  instant,  then  sinking  an  inch  or  two 

O 

was  just  on  the  point  of  receiving  the  first  motion  or  drag 
from  the  rod,  when  a  swirl,  a  faint  splash,  and  then  the 
scream  of  the  reel  announced  that  a  salmon  had  been 
hooked. 

Scarcely  had  the  fish  felt  the  barb  when,  with  the 
speed  almost  of  lightning,  he  darted  to  the  head  of  the 
pool,  and  then  back  in  an  instant  to  the  deep  water  in 
the  middle,  thus  securing  a  dangerous  bight  in  the  line, 
which  only  the  greatest  activity  at  the  reel  could  over- 
come in  time,  and  Frere  but  just  succeeded  in  getting 
his  line  straightened,  before  the  salmon  repeated  his  per- 


96  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

formance,  this  time  his  run  being-  broken  by  three  leaps 
in  quick  succession,  all  of  them  being  at  least  three  -feet 
in  the  air. 

He  then  returned  to  his  former  position,  and  Frere 
began  giving  him  the  strain  of  the  rod,  for  the  runs  in 
quick  succession  and  the  leaps  had  sobered  the  fish,  and 
if  the  fight  were  now  forced,  it  was  evident  it  would  be 
a  short  one.  The  tactics  which  the  salmon  now  adopted 
were  such  as  every  one  who  has  been  "  fast "  to  one  of 
these  noble  fish  is  acquainted  with. 

Now  he  was  apparently  standing  on  his  head  in  the 
water,  evidently  rubbing  his  nose  on  the  rocks  on  the 
bottom  of  the  pool,  to  free  himself  from  the  barbed  steel. 
Finding  this  unavailing,  he  would  shake  his  head  savagely 
like  a  terrier  worrying  a  rat.  This  also  proving  ineffectual, 
he  would  endeavor  to  wind  the  casting  line  about  one  of 
the  rocks  in  the  water,  by  which  a  purchase  could  be  ob- 
tained, so  that  the  hook  could  be  twisted  from  its  hold. 
All  in  vain,  however,  Frere  kept  his  steady  strain  on  the 
rod,  keenly  watching  every  movement  of  the  fish,  and 
meeting,  with  a  sportsman's  skill,  all  its  ruses  and  at- 
tempts to  escape. 

At  length  the  tension  of  the  line  proved  too  great 
for  the  fish,  and  it  began  to  show  unmistakable  signs  of 
fatigue. 


98  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

Perceiving  this,  Frere  commenced  reeling  in  the  line, 
all  the  time  keeping  the  strain  upon  it. 

Suddenly,  without  any  warning,  the  salmon  gave  a 
magnificent  leap,  and  then  plunging  to  the  bottom,  darted 
to  the  shoal  water  down  to  the  foot  of  the  pool. 

"Oh,  give  him  the  butt,  give  him  the  butt!"  we  all 
shouted  to  Frere,  but  too  late,  Frere  was  doing  all  that 
the  rod  could  stand,  but,  passing  like  a  flash  down  into 
the  stream,  running  out  the  line  in  a  way  that  made  the 
reel  wildly  whistle,  the  fish  glided  between  two  rocks  in 
the  bed  of  the  stream,  turned  across  the  shoals,  and  then 
sped  back  up  the  swift  water  and  around  another  rock, 
thus  securing  leverage,  and  he  was  free. 

"Too  bad,  too  bad!"  I  exclaimed.  Frere  made  no 
reply  but  began  reeling  in  his  line  which  the  fish  had 
carried  out  to  the  extent  of  at  least  one  hundred  yards. 

"Confound  it  all,"  exclaimed  Hiram.  "He  was  a 
wide-awake  divil  sure!" 

"Yes,  a  fresh-run  fish,"  added  William,  "and  full  of 
life." 

"Life!  any  amount,  sure,"  replied  Hiram,  who,  now 
that  the  fight  was  over,  was  quietly  filling  his  pipe  and 
preparing  for  a  smoke. 

Did  you  ever  notice  that  your  guide,  it  a  smoker, 
and  he  almost  always  is  one,  invariably  lights  his  pipe 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  99 

when   a   bie    fish    is    landed    or    lost?       If    not,    watch    him 

o 

when   you  are   next  out.       I    never  knew  it  fail  to  happen. 

When  Frere  had  reeled  in  his  line  so  that  the  leader 
could  be  reached,  I  took  it  in  my  hand  and  examined  it. 
It  had  parted  at  one  of  the  knots,  and  evidently  had 
been  carelessly  fastened. 

"The  knot  was  a  poor  one,"  said  Frere,  examining 
the  gut,  "but  if  it  had  been  perfect  it  would  not  have 
held  that  fish." 

"  No,  no  gut  was  ever  made  that  would  hold  him," 
said  Hiram.  "Nor  line  neither,"  assented  William,  "un- 
less it  was  a  cod  line." 

FYere  quietly  removed  the  portion  of  the  gut  that 
was  left,  and  placing  it  in  his  fly-book,  selected  another 
new  leader,  and  putting  it  in  the  water  and  anchoring 
it  with  a  pebble,  left  it  to  soak  and  become  pliable. 
He  bore  his  disappointment  and  loss  philosophically,  and 
gave  no  sign  that  he  felt  it  even  as  much  as  we  did. 

The  sun  was  now  shining  brightly,  the  fleecy  clouds 
having  been  entirely  dispelled.  The  breeze  had  also  sub- 
sided, and  the  surface  of  the  pool  was  as  smooth  as 
glass,  save  where  the  ripples  and  eddies  showed  the  mov- 
ing current,  and  flecks  or  bunches  of  foam  from  the  rap- 
ids floated  clown  on  the  water,  swam  about  for  awhile, 
and  then  passed  down  the  river  out  of  sight. 


ioo  With    Fly- Rod   and    Camera. 

Fishing  for  the  present  was  useless,  even  if  the  pool 
had  not  been  disturbed,  and  throwing  ourselves  among 
brakes  and  wild  grass  in  the  shade  of  the  trees,  we 
gave  ourselves  and  the  pool  a  short  rest 

The  black  flies  and  mosquitoes  were  now  putting  in 
their  best  work,  and  we  were  obliged  to  anoint  our  ex- 
posed skin  with  our  "fly  p'ison,"  as  William  termed  it. 

I  have  seen  various  preparations  for  keeping  off  the 
insect  pests  of  the  northern  woods,  but  of  all  that  I  have 
tried  I  have  found  none  more  efficacious  than  a  liberal 
proportion  of  pure  Stockholm  tar  dissolved  in  sweet  oil, 
one  part  of  tar  to  two  parts  of  sweet  oil,  and  the  flavor 
heightened  with  a  little  oil  of  pennyroyal  or  peppermint. 
Vaseline,  thoroughly  incorporated  with  this,  gives  it  a  con- 
sistency and  "wear,"  and  is  therefore  a  valuable  addition. 
The  solution  of  tar  cannot  be  too  strong,  but  too  much 
pennyroyal  will  cause  irritation  to  the  skin  and  eyes. 

Ah !  what  a  paradise  would  be  the  northern  wilder- 
ness in  summer  if  it  were  not  for  the  voracious  insects 
which  abound  in  myriads  and  annoy  us  at  every  turn. 
In  some  localities  they  render  life  almost  a  burden  to 
man  and  beast,  and  a  favored  spot  it  is,  indeed,  that  is 
free  from  them.  I  have  seen  the  black  flies  in  the  valley 
of  the  Magalloway  River  in  Maine,  in  such  numbers  that 
the  farmers  could  not  work  in  the  fields  in  the  heat  of 


102  With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera. 

the  day  unless  they  had  a  "smudge"  burning  near  them 
all  the  time.  Repeatedly  have  I  seen  cattle  come  tearing 
down  the  hills  as  if  they  were  mad,  and  thrust  their  heads 
into  the  smoke  of  the  "smudge  pot"  that  was  kept  always 
burning  at  every  door  to  drive  away  their  tormentors.  I 
have  seen  the  window  panes  of  a  school  house  in  a  back 
settlement  so  covered  with  these  insects  that  they  ap- 
peared almost  solid  black. 

Never  shall  I  forget  an  experience  that  I  had  in  the 
summer  of  1860  on  the  upper  waters  of  the  Magalloway. 
It  was  a  wild  country  then,  and  one  would  not  meet  a 
hunter  or  fisherman  for  weeks  at  a  stretch.  Now  it  is 
quite  different,  and  fishermen  are  numerous,  and  on  an 
island  in  Lake  Parmachene  there  is  a  comfortable  house 
for  their  accommodation  kept  by  the  popular  guide  John 
Uanforth.  On  the  occasion  I  refer  to,  I  had  with  me 
as  canoeman,  a  son  of  dear  old  Captain  Wilson,  one  of 
the  whitest  men  that  God  ever  created.  We  were  coming 
down  the  river  on  our  return  from  a  trip  to  its  head 
waters,  and  had  just  reached  "the  Meadows,"  so-called, 
when  young  Wilson  was  taken  ill.  He  seemed  in  great 
pain,  almost  as  if  dying,  and  was  of  course  quite  help- 
less. What  his  sickness  was  I  could  not  understand,  but 
1  did  the  best  I  could  for  him.  I  laid  him  in  the  bot- 
tom of  the  boat  on  the  blankets,  and  gave  him  a  dose 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  103 

of  Jamaica  ginger,  which  I  happened  to  have  among  my 
stores.  I  felt  sure  it  could  not  hurt  him  anyway,  and 
it  did  in  a  short  time  give  him  relief,  for  he  soon  fell 
asleep.  But  the  black  flies !  Like  a  dense  cloud  they 
settled  upon  us,  and  1  was  literally  streaming  with  blood. 
Wilson  I  had  covered  with  the  blanket,  and  his  face  was 
protected  by  his  hat,  with  a  handkerchief  thrown  over  it. 
But  I,  while  I  was  tending  him,  was  completely  at  the 
mercy  of  the  little  pests,  and  no  mercy  did  they  show. 

Not  a  breath  was  stirring,  and  the  weather  was  Very 
warm ;  the  perspiration  streamed  at  every  pore,  and  con- 
sequently tar  ointment  would  not  adhere  to  my  skin.  It 
would  have  been  useless,  anyway,  against  such  hordes  as 
pounced  upon  me. 

It  took  but  a  short  time  to  convince  me  that  unless 
I  had  a  smudge  in  the  canoe  the  situation  would  be  crit- 
ical, for  I  had  heard  of  cases  of  terrible  poisoning  from 
black  flies,  which  were  followed  by  insanity  and  helpless- 
ness. Seizing  the  frying  pan  and  iron  pot,  I  started  a 
fire  in  each,  and  when  it  was  fairly  burning,  I  covered 
it  with  damp  moss,  leaves  and  turf.  I  placed  one  in  the 
bow  close  to  Wilson,  and  the  other  at  my  feet,  and  began 
my  long  paddle  of,  I  think,  over  thirty  miles  down  to 
Aziscohos  Falls. 

The   river  was   low,   and   once   or  twice   I   was  obliged 


io4  With    Fly- Rod   and    Camera. 

to  get  out  of  the  boat  and  haul  it  over  bars  and  windfalls, 
at  which  times  I  was  at  the  mercy  of  my  tormentors. 

The  load  was  also  heavy  for  a  single  paddle,  and 
tired  enough  I  was  at  nightfall  when  I  landed  at  an  old 
logging  camp  on  the  river  side,  and  got  my  patient  out 
of  the  boat  and  into  the  camp.  However,  I  started  up 
a  big  smudge,  for  although  the  flies  had  finished  their 
work  for  the  day,  the  mosquitoes  began  to  show  up  in 
clouds.  • 

I  then  built  a  fire  and  got  supper.  I  contented  my- 
self with  hard  tack,  fried  bacon  and  tea.  For  Wilson  I 
made  a  dish  of  flour  porridge ;  and  through  the  evening 
I  laid  cloths  steeped  in  hot  water  across  his  abdomen, 
changing  them  as  fast  as  they  cooled  off  to  the  temper- 
ature of  the  body. 

This  treatment  seemed  to  do  him  good,  and  glad  and 
thankful  enough  I  was  to  see  the  poor  chap  coming  around, 
for  it  was  a  pretty  serious  matter  for  me  to  have  a  sick 
man  on  my  hands  alone  in  the  wilderness,  particularly  as 
I  did  not  know  what  ailed  him,  and  what  the  best  treat- 
ment would  be. 

At  length  I  smudged  out  the  camp  and  turned  in, 
leaving  a  big  smoke  going  outside. 

On  the  following  morning  Wilson  was  so  far  recov- 
ered that  he  could  move  about  without  my  assistance,  and 


io6  With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera. 

we  got  an  early  start  on  the  river,  he,  however,  still  too 
weak  to  paddle.  The  flies,  however,  soon  put  in  an  ap- 
pearance, and  I  was  obliged  to  kindle  my  smudges  again. 
I  sped  the  boat  as  rapidly  as  I  could,  but  it  was  noon 
when  I  heard  the  oh,  how  welcome  roar  of  the  falls,  and 
knew  that  the  end  of  my  journey  on  the  river  was  at 
hand. 

Wilson,  though  still  feeble,  was  now  able  to  walk  the 
carry  (portage)  around  the  falls  with  me,  although  we  had 
to  travel  slowly;  and  it  was  late  in  the  night  when  we 
reached  his  home  at  Wilson's  Mills,  and  I  was  relieved 
of  my  responsibility  and  anxiety. 

We  were  both  so  badly  poisoned  by  the  virus  from 
the  insects  that  wre  were  in  high  fever  for  a  day  or  two, 
but  good  nursing  brought  us  out  all  right. 

My  hands  were  in  a  terrible  state,  for,  in  addition  to 
the  soreness  from  the  bites  of  the  flies,  they  were  badly 
blistered  by  the  hard  bout  I  had  had  with  the  paddle. 

Yes,  that  was  an  experience  with  black  flies  never  to 
be  forgotten.  The  region  about  the  Magalloway  is  one 
of  the  favorite  haunts  of  this  pestiferous  insect,  and  I  do 
not  remember  ever  seeing  it  in  any  other  section  in  any- 
thing like  the  abundance  in  which  it  exists  there.  In  old 
times  we  used  to  think  that  the  Schoodic  Lake  country, 
particularly  about  'Grand  Lake  Stream,  was  bad  on  account 


With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera.  107 

of  these  diabolical  insects  and  I  have  seen  them  so  thick 
on  the  Miramichi  that  the  air  was  black  with  them — but 
I  have  never  anywhere  seen  anything-  like  the  prodigal 
plenty  in  which  they  are  found  on  the  Magalloway. 

"  Pass  me  the  p'ison,  please,"  exclaimed  William,  after 
Frere  and  I  had  anointed  ourselves,  "  the  flies  are  very 
cross*  to-day." 

I  handed  the  tar  to  him,  and  he  with  his  brother 
rubbed  in  a  good  coating ;  both  of  them  had  been  well 
punctured,  the  insects  having  crawled  into  their  hair  and 
beards  and  left  their  scars  freely. 

Anointing    being    over    we    settled    down    for    comfort. 

"  'Tis  a  pretty  pool,  entirely,"  said  Hiram,  who  was 
carelessly  tying  various  knots  on  a  piece  of  string. 

"  It    is    that,"    assented    William. 

"  I  wish  I  had  a  dollar  for  every  fish  that  was  ever 
taken  from  it." 

"You'd  need  a  team  to  carry  them  if  they  were  our 
American  silver  dollars,"  I  added. 

"Yes,    and    a   double    team    at    that,"    said    Frere. 

"Yes,  'tis  a  great  pool,  altogether,"  answered  Hiram, 
unconsciously  repeating  his  first  statement. 

"And  one  of  the  best  to  kill  a  fish   in   on  the  river." f 

*  Hungry    or    savage. 

f  These    dialogues    are    literally    as    jotted     down    l>y    rnc    on    various    occasions. — 
E.    A.    S. 


io8  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

"True,"  replied  Frere,  laughingly,  "if  you  can  keep 
him  away  from  the  rocks." 

"Oh,  there's  no  trouble*  at  all,"  replied  William,  dep- 
recatingly,  "you'll  never  have  one  run  down  there  again. 
This  was  the  first  time  I  ever  saw  one,  and  many's  the 
fish  I've  seen  killed  here." 

"No,  they  never  run  there  like  that,"  said  Hiram, 
"but  you  want  to  mind  the  head  of  the  pool  too,  there's 
an  old  drift  tree  there,"  pointing  to  a  spot  just  below 
the  upper  rapids,  "and  if  you  get  'hung  up  there,'  good- 
by  Mr.  Salmon." 

"Is  there  really  any  drift  stuff  there?"  I  asked,  "if 
so  now  is  the  time  to  get  it  out.  I  don't  want  to  lose 
any  fish  on  it." 

"All  right,"  replied  the  guide.  "Come,  William,  with 
the  gaff,  and  we'll  clear  it  out." 

The  two  brothers  proceeded  to  the  beach,  above  the 
rapids  where  the  canoe  was  hauled  up,  and  shoving  it 
out  into  the  stream  and  embarking,  they  moved  slowly 
down  to  the  place  that  had  been  designated. 

William  held  the  canoe  steadily  in  place  while  Hiram 
began  reaching  with  the  gaff  down  into  the  water  for  the 
drift  wood. 

"By    Jove,"    I    exclaimed,    "there's    more    water    there 

*  Difficulty. 


no  With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera. 

than  I  dreamed  of ;  see !  he  has  the  whole  length  of  the 
gaff  under  water,  and  his  arms  up  to  the  elbows." 

"Yes,"  replied  Frere,  "there  is  a  sharp  pitch  there, 
and  quite  a  deep  hole." 

In  a  short  time  Hiram  shouted  to  William  to  "push 
in,"  and  the  canoe,  impelled  by  the  setting  pole,  soon 
touched  the  beach,  Hiram  dragging  with  the  gaff  what 
proved  to  be  a  large  limb  of  a  tree  with  the  branches 
and  twigs  on,  just  as  it  had  floated  down  the  stream 
and  sunk  months  before. 

"That's  a  dangerous  snag  out  of  the  way,  at  all 
events,"  said  Frere.  "What  have  you  found,  Hiram?" 
he  exclaimed,  as  the  guide,  after  hauling  the  limb  up  on 
the  beach,  proceeded  to  detach  something  that  was  evi- 
dently fastened  to  it. 

"  'Tis  a  bit  of  net  that  got  torn  on  it,"  answered 
the  guide,  "that  snag  has  done  one  good  job  anyway." 

"  Hallo,  here  is  the  rest  of  your  cast,  sir,"  exclaimed 
William,  unwinding  something  that  was  also  entangled  in 
the  twigs. 

"What?"  ejaculated  Frere,  "my  casting  line?  Im- 
possible." 

"It  is,  sure  enough,  and  the  fly,  too,  all  but  the 
barb  of  the  hook,  that's  gone." 

It    proved    to    be    as    they    had    stated ;     the    salmon, 


1 1 2  /f 'ith    Fly- Rod   and    Camera. 

after  parting  the  casting  line,  had  purposely  entangled  it 
afterward  in  the  drift  stuff  and,  breaking  the  hook,  had 
freed  itself  of  its  unwelcome  incumbrance. 

"  'Twas  a  crafty  lad,  altogether,"  said  Hiram,  hand- 
ing the  line  to  Frere,  "how  well  he  knew  the  way  to 
get  rid  of  it!" 

"Yes,"  replied  Frere,  "I  knew  he  would  not  carry 
it  around  long." 

"It  was  a  poor  length  of  gut,"  I  exclaimed,  as  I 
examined  it.  "  See,  here  is  at  least  six  inches  of  it  thin 
and  flat." 

"Yes,"  replied  Frere,  "I  see  it  was  weak  there,  al- 
though it  would  have  made  no  difference  if  it  had  been 

o 

perfect ;  it  is  almost  impossible  to  obtain  good  casting 
lines  nowadays  except  at  fabulous  prices,  and  even  then 
they  are  likely  to  have  weak  places." 

"That  is  true,"  said  I,  as  we  resumed  our  seats 
among  the  brakes,  "there  is  sure  to  be  a  weak  spot 
somewhere,  and  I  have  for  years  tied  my  own,  and  I 
use  nothing  but  the  best  round  gut  of  even  and  uniform 
thickness." 

"1  believe  I  will  try  it  myself,"  replied  Frere,  "there 
is  no  great  labor  required  in  it,  and  it  is  worth  some- 
thing to  have  a  cast  on  that  one  may  feel  absolute  con- 
fidence in." 


1 14  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

.  "Yes,"  said  Hiram,  "the  best  cast  is  none  too  good. 
I  was  once  out  with  a  man  from  Montreal.  He  had  a 
big  lot  of  new  casting  lines,  and  they  looked  all  right, 
but  they  went  to  pieces  on  every  fish.  He  lost  a  big  lot 
of  saumon  that  trip,  something  like  a  dozen  or  fifteen,  I 
am  sure." 

"He  did  so,"  added  William,  "he  had  hard  luck,  not 
a  cast  in  the  lot  wuth  tuppence." 

"  Do  you  mind,  Doctor,  how  we  lost  the  saumon  last 
year  in  the  White  Rapids  Pool  on  the  Jacquet?"  asked 
Hiram,  addressing  me,  "Sure  he  was  the  wild  divil,  too." 

"Yes,  I  shall  not  forget  him  for  a  while,"  I  replied, 
"such  a  dance  as  he  led  us." 

"How   was    it?"    inquired    Frere. 

"Oh,  it  was  only  one  of  the  cases  of  'lost  fish'  that 
every  one  knows  all  about,"  I  replied.  "  I  was  running 
down  the  river  with  Hiram  in  the  canoe,  fishing  the  pools 
on  the  way  down.  When  we  reached  the  White  Rapids 
Hiram  landed  me  on  the  shore  above  the  pool,  and  I 
walked  down  along  the  river,  casting  as  I  went.  When 
I  reached  the  boil  immediately  below  the  rapids  I  got  a 
rise,  and  casting  again,  was  fast  to  a  fine  fish.  He  took 
down  into  the  pool,  and,  from  the  way  he  cavorted  around 
there,  one  would  think  he  had  an  electric  battery  in  his 
tail.  Zip !  he'd  dart  up  and  down  the  pool  like  an  arrow, 


JVith    Fly- Rod   and    Camera.  1 1 5 

and  'cree-e-e'  the  old  reel  sung  out  in  response  to  his 
movements." 

"Yes,  the  lad  was  in  the  air  more  of  the  time  than 
in  the  water,"  exclaimed  Hiram,  "it  was  jump,  jump,  jump 
all  over  the  pool ;  sure  he  was  a  wild  divil,  altogether." 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "he  was  a  lively  customer,  I  never 
had  a  fish  quite  so  full  of  energy.  At  length  he  ran 
down  to  the  foot  of  the  pool,  and  criss-crossed  over  among 
some  big  boulders  there  and  got  the  line  wound  around 
them.  I  yelled  at  the  top  of  my  lungs  to  Hiram  to  wade 
out  with  the  gaff  and  cast  off  the  line,  or  the  fish  would 
part  it." 

"Sure,  I  thought  he  was  gone,"  said  the  guide.  "I 
saw  the  line  in  the  rocks  and  made  sure  it  was  broken." 

"No,"  I  continued,  "he  was  still  on  when  Hiram 
went  out  to  him  and  cast  off  the  line,  and  whir-r-r,  how 
he  made  the  water  fly  as  he  darted  to  the  head  of  the 
pool  again.  Up  and  down  did  he  continue  to  race,  some- 
times in  the  water,  as  often  in  the  air,  and  apparently 
as  fresh  as  at  the  start." 

"No    doubt    a    fresh-run    fish,"    remarked    Frere. 

"Ah!    yes,    he   was    a   bright    one,"    said    Hiram. 

"At  length  he  gave  a  big  leap  and  then  ran  to  the 
boil  again,  where  he  settled  to  the  bottom,  and  stir  him 
1  could  not.  For  at  least  fifteen  minutes  I  tried  every 


ii6  IVith    Fly- Rod    and    Camera. 

means  that  I  knew  of  for  starting  a  sulking  salmon,  but 
he  would  not  budge.  Finally  I  got  impatient  and  told 
Hiram  to  take  the  canoe  and  stir  him  up  with  the  set- 
ting pole. 

"'Are    you    sure    he's    still    on?'    Hiram    called    out. 

"'On,  of  course  he  is,'  I  replied,  'see  the  line  vibrate 
as  the  rascal  shakes  his  head.' 

"  'Yes,  he's  trying  to  shake  out  the  hook,'  answered 
the  guide,  and  he  immediately  started  for  the  canoe. 

"I  had  a  steady  strain  on  the  fish  all  the  time,  for 
all  the  rod  was  worth,  and  I  kept  it  up  \vhile  Hiram 
was  bringing  down  the  canoe.  Now  and  again  I  felt  a 
spiteful  jerk,  as  if  the  fish  were  shaking  the  line  back 
and  forth.  Anon  would  come  a  strong  steady  tug  as  if 
he  were  about  to  start  out  again  on  his  wild  racings,  and 
then  the  dead  hard  resistance  would  follow. 

"Hiram  soon  had  the  canoe  in  the  pool,  and  going 
up  to  the  head  poked  down  with  the  setting  pole  where 
the  salmon  was  lying,  but  the  fish  did  not  stir.  Finally 
the  guide  took  hold  of  the  line  and  began  lifting  it  care- 
fully with  one  hand,  underrunning  it  with  the  gaff. 

"'Sure,    the    fish    is   gone!'    at    last    he    shouted. 

"'No!'    I    exclaimed,    'impossible!' 

"'He  is  gone,  altogether,'  replied  Hiram,  'and  you 
are  fast  to  a  tree  at  the  bottom  of  the  pool.' 


A  SNAP  SHOT  AT  MIC-MACS     (Insi.) 


1 1 8  With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera. 

"As  he  said  this  he  put  the  gaff  down  into  the  water, 
and  hooking  it  into  a  branch  of  sunken  drift  wood  like 
that  just  taken  out  of  this  pool,  he  came  ashore  at  my 
side." 

"Ha,  ha,"  exclaimed  Frere,  "that's  a  pretty  good  joke; 
the  idea  of  playing  a  piece  of  drift  stuff  so  long  is  rich." 

"Yes,  it  was  pretty  rough  on  me,  I  admit,"  said  I, 
but  I'll  be  blessed  if  any  one  could  have  known  it  was 
not  a  salmon.  The  scamp  no  doubt  freed  himself  as  soon 
as  he  struck  the  drift  stuff,  and  the  line,  fastened  to  the 
swaying  limb,  vibrated  and  pulled  according  to  the  strength 
of  the  water  moving  it  back  and  forth.  It  felt  all  the  time 
like  a  large  strong  fish." 

"Tricky  divils  are  salmon,"  sententiously  observed  Wil- 
liam. "  I  never  feel  sure  of  one  until  he  is  high  and  dry 
on  the  shore." 

"Yes,  the  salmon  is  a  good  fighter,"  said  Frere,  "and 
the  uncertainty  of  bringing  him  to  grass  constitutes  nine- 
tenths  of  the  fascination  there  is  in  fishing  for  him." 

"One  cannot  risk  a  single  chance  on  him,"  I  replied, 
"and  it  is  often  a  little  thing  that  brings  the  fisherman 
to  grief  even  with  the  best  of  care." 

"Sure  enough,"  said  Hiram.  "Many's  the  good  fish 
I've  seen  lost  by  the  best  fishermen,  and  sometimes  the 
oldest  hands  have  the  hardest  luck.  But  come,  gentle- 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  1 19 

men,  the  pool  is  well  rested  now,  and  there  is  a  beauti- 
ful ripple  on  the  water,  and  see  the  drift  of  clouds  that 
is  coming  over." 

Rising  from  our  recumbent  positions  in  the  shade  at 
his  words,  we  found  that  a  breeze  had  sprung  up,  and 
taking  our  rods  we  prepared  for  another  trial  in  the  pool. 
The  wind  was  rippling  the  surface  of  the  water  beauti- 
fully, and  the  chances  seemed  good  for  a  speedy  rise. 
Frere  now  took  a  position  in  the  rapids  at  the  head  of 
the  pool,  wading  out  to  a  depth  of  two  or  three  feet, 
while  I  began  casting  above  the  eddy,  across  the  pool. 

This  was  a  fair  "turn  and  turn  about"  for  us.  It 
was  much  easier  to  cast  down  the  pool  from  the  head, 
but  the  chance  for  a  salmon  was  best  in  the  deep  water 
near  the  foot.  Frere  had  had  his  opportunity,  and  it  was 
my  turn  now.  Lengthening  my  line  at  every  cast,  I  soon 
reached  the  coveted  spot,  and  putting  my  fly  in  the  curl 
of  the  water,  I  rose  and  hooked  a  grilse. 

"Cre-e-e!"  how  the  reel  sang,  as  the  fish  darted  up 
and  down  the  pool,  leaping  high  in  the  air,  sometimes 
three  or  four  times  in  succession. 

William  seized  the  landing  net,  the  gaff  not  being 
needed  for  a  grilse,  and  stood  ready  to  land  my  fish. 

A  shout  from  Frere,  who  was  standing  in  the  rapids, 
attracted  our  attention,  and  his  bent  rod  indicated  that 


I2O  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

he,  too,  had  hooked  a  large  fish,  which  a  leap  at  that 
instant  showed  to  be  a  salmon. 

"  Don't  gwe  the  grilse  any  more  time,  Doctor,"  ex- 
claimed William.  "We  must  get  him  in  before  that  sal- 
mon runs  down  here  and  crosses  your  line." 

I  did  not  need  his  counsel  to  see  the  urgent  need 
of  such  action,  and  in  a  very  short  time  the  landing  net 
passed  under  the  grilse,  and  he  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
guide. 

Frere  was  fast  to  a  noble  fish,  and  his  heavy  rod, 
bent  into  an  arch,  showed  that  he  was  endeavoring  to 
keep  him  up  in  the  pool,  away  from  the  dangerous  rocks 
where  he  had  lost  the  first  fish. 

It  was  a  grand  fight !  Frere,  immediately  on  strik- 
ing the  fish,  left  his  position  in  the  rushing  water,  and 
took  his  stand  upon  the  point  of  the  beach  near  by,  thus 
obtaining  a  perfect  command  of  the  entire  length  of  the 
pool. 

The  salmon  in  the  first  rush  took  out  at  least  sixty 
yards  of  line  without  stopping ;  then,  with  a  mighty  leap, 
sprang  into  the  air,  his  red  eyes  gleaming  like  rubies  in 
their  silver  casing.  Like  a  rock  he  struck  the  water, 
throwing  it  up  with  a  heavy  splash  in  all  directions.  As 
the  fish  fell,  Frere  relinquished  his  heavy  strain  upon  the 
rod,  dropping  the  tip  a  foot  or  two,  in  order  that  the 


122  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

salmon  might  not  free  himself  by  falling  upon  a  taut 
casting  line. 

It  was  only  for  an  instant,  however,  that  the  line 
was  slackened,  and  the  fish  had  hardly  returned  to  his 
native  element  when  the  drag  of  the  rod  was  again  put 
upon  him.  Again  and  again  the  salmon  leaped  high  in 
air  four  times  in  rapid  succession ;  but  Frere  met  his 
every  effort  with  the  consummate  skill  of  the  perfect 
angler. 

For  at  least  a  quarter  of  an  hour  did  the  salmon 
course  up  and  down  the  pool,  now  keeping  it  in  a  boil 
with  his  gyrations,  now  swimming  deep,  and  apparently 
trying  to  chafe  the  line  against  the  rocks  at  the  bottom ; 
then  darting  with  the  speed  of  lightning  to  another  part 
of  the  basin,  where  he  repeated  his  maneuvers. 

Fortunately  he  did  not  endeavor  to  reach  the  rapids 
below  as  the  other  fish  had  done,  but  contented  himself 
with  the  deep  water  in  the  middle  of  the  pool. 

At  length  it  was  evident  that  the  steady  strain  of 
the  rod  was  telling  upon  the  fish.  His  leaps  grew  less 
frequent,  and  his  rushes  less  spiteful.  He  began  swim- 
ming in  circles,  and  once  or  twice  almost  turned  on  his 
side. 

"He's  done  for,"  shouted  William,  who,  gaff  in  hand, 
was  following  the  fish  back  and  forth  along  the  beach. 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  123 

"Don't  be  too  sure,  sir,"  said  Hiram,  who  had  been 
watching"  the  contest  with  the  keenest  interest.  "  Many's 
the  salmon  lost  when  he  keels  over  on  his  side." 

And  Hiram  was  right;  it  is  often  one  of  the  most 
critical  moments  when  the  salmon  turns  on  his  side.  The 
fisherman,  perhaps  in  the  certainty  of  his  prize,  uncon- 
sciously relaxes  his  lift  upon  the  rod ;  or  the  fish  secures 
an  unexpected  buoyancy,  and  thus  attains  an  unlocked 
for  leverage ;  or  the  hook,  in  his  new  position,  twists  out 
of  its  fastening,  which  had  been  worn  wider  and  wider 
by  the  struggles  of  the  fish ;  either  or  all  of  these  com- 
bined have  time  and  again  in  my  observation  turned  the 
exultation  of  the  fisherman  to  bitter  disappointment  and 
chagrin,  as  the  salmon,  with  no  apparent  effort,  sank  back 
into  the  water,  and  the  fly  "came  home." 

In  Frere,  however,  the  salmon  found  his  conqueror. 
With  superb  skill  he  met  every  effort  of  the  fish  to  es- 
cape ;  relaxing  not  a  moment  his  command  of  the  rod, 
he  kept  the  same  steady  strain  upon  the  line;  reeling 
in  when  the  fish  yielded  a  foot,  and  holding  all  he  gained 
throughout  the  struggle. 

The  salmon,  in  turning  the  third  time  upon  his  side, 
gave  Frere  the  opportunity  he  had  desired ;  without  at- 
tempting to  use  the  reel,  he  stepped  back  quickly  away 
from  the  pool,  the  "lift"  of  the  rod  dragging  the  fish 


124  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

at  the  same  time  toward  the  shore.  In  a  Hash  the  gaff 
was  in  the  glittering  prize,  and  the  fish  was  borne  up 
high  on  the  beach,  away  from  the  dangerous  proximity 
of  the  water. 

"Indeed,  but  he  was  well  hooked,"  exclaimed  Hiram, 
as  he  opened  the  mouth  of  the  salmon  to  remove  the  fly. 

"Sure  he  was  so,"  assented  William,  as  he  endeav- 
ored to  take  out  the  fly.  "The  hook  is  clean  through 
the  roof  of  his  mouth." 

So  securely  was  the  hook  fastened  that  it  was  found 
necessary  to  cut  it  out,  the  tough  skin  of  the  palate  hold- 
ing it  with  the  greatest  tenacity. 

"Shake,  old  chap,"  I  said,  grasping  Frere's  hand,  as 
I  congratulated  him  on  his  first  salmon  of  the  season. 

Next  to  killing  a  good  fish  myself,  I  love  to  see  a 
friend  take  one,  and  I  can  honestly  asseverate  that  I  have, 
time  and  again,  had  more  pleasure  in  helping  a  comrade 
to  a  royal  fish,  than  I  should  have  had  if  it  had  fallen 
to  my  own  rod.  It  is  only  a  "fish  hog"  who  wants  it 
all  himself. 

It  was  now  high  noon,  and  the  guides  began  prepar- 
ations for  dinner,  and  before  long  an  abundant  meal  was 
spread  out  upon  our  rustic  table.  And  such  appetites  as 
we  had,  as  we  helped  ourselves  liberally  to  the  delicious 
viands !  The  active  life,  the  bracing  mountain  air,  the 


126  With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera. 

excitement  altogether,  had  stirred  our  blood  in  such  a 
way  that  we  were  absolutely  hungry,  a  condition  that  the 
city  dweller  knows  but  little  of.  We  had  a  little  more 
variety  than  at  breakfast,  the  canned  soup,  etc.,  lending 
assistance,  but  I  contented  myself  with  a  third  helping 
of  boiled  sea  trout  and  potatoes.  These  are  always  good 
enough  for  me  in  the  woods,  if  they  are  flanked  with 
good  bread  and  butter  and  a  good  dipper  of  tea. 

Why  is  it  that  tea  has  such  a  relish  on  such  oc- 
casions? Usually  I  am  very  abstemious  of  it,  in  fact 
hardly  ever  using  it,  but  in  my  outings  it  is  quite  dif- 
ferent, and  coffee,  which  at  home  constitutes  my  regular 
beverage,  loses  its  relish.  And  I  have  noticed  time  and 
again  that  guides  and  canoemen  also  prefer  tea  to  coffee, 
and  it  is  astonishing  how  much  they  are  dependent  on 
the  cup  that  "cheers  but  not  inebriates."  Indians  and 
white  guides  are  the  same  in  this  respect,  and  many  a 
time  has  my  canoeman,  without  a  word  from  me,  glanced 
up  to  the  noonday  sun,  pulled  silently  ashore,  and  lighted 
the  fire  for  "b'iling  the  tea  kittle."  A  pint  dipper  of 
strong  tea  with  a  biscuit  or  two  has,  in  a  hurried  journey, 
proved  sufficient,  if  followed  by  the  inevitable  pipe ;  and 
the  paddle  or  setting  pole  was  resumed  with  renewed 
vigor. 

"Well,    Frere,"   said    I,   as  we   arose   from   our  bounti- 


128  With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera. 

ful  repast,  "what  shall  it  be,  stay  here  to-night  or  move 
on  up  the  river?" 

"It  is  hard  to  decide,"  he  replied.  "We  know  there 
are  fish  here,  and  don't  know  there  are  any  above." 

"Oh,  plenty  above,  no  trouble,"  exclaimed  the  guides 
with  one  voice,  evidently  anxious  to  be  moving;  like  all 
guides  I  have  ever  met,  they  were  not  satisfied  to  remain 
long  in  one  place. 

"We  might,  if  that  is  the  case,"  replied  Frere,  "go 
on  as  far  as  the  fifth  pool,  stop  there  to-night,  and  then 
move  on  to  the  upper  pools  to-morrow.  What  do  you 
say?"  he  asked,  turning  to  me. 

"All  right,"  I  replied,  "we  are  sure  to  find  sport  in 
some  of  the  pools,  and  even  if  we  don't  we  have  an 
abundance  of  food." 

"Indeed  ye  have,  and  more,"  exclaimed  Hiram,  "but 
I  thought  if  we  got  up  the  stream  to  the  farms  in  the 
upper  settlement,  we  could  send  out  to  the  hotel  a  lot 
of  fish  for  your  folks  to  eat." 

"Well,  boys,  break  camp,"  said  I,  "and  we  will  pack 
and  start." 

In  a  short  time  all  our  belongings  were  packed  in 
the  canoe,  and  we  were  ready  to  start. 

For  quite  a  distance  up  the  river  the  water  was  so 
shoal  that  all  of  us  had  to  wade,  the  canoe  barely  clear- 


Fly-  Rod    and    Camera.  129 


ing  the  rocky  bottom,  with  no  other  load  than  our  camp 
equipage  and  stores.  After  that  there  were  at  intervals 
stretches  of  a  third  to  a  half  mile  where  there  was  water 
sufficient  to  float  us.  In  fact  in  many  places  it  was  too 
deep  to  be  waded. 

We  fished  the  best  pools  on  the  way  up,  but  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  only  a  few  sea  trout,  although  we  saw 
many  salmon.  The  sun  was  too  bright  and  the  water 
too  clear  for  us  to  expect  old  Salar  to  come  to  the  fly 
at  that  time  of  day. 

Frere  and  I  took  our  stands  upon  the  rocks  by  the 
side  of  the  pool,  and  cast  for  at  least  an  hour,  but  we 
rose  only  a  few  trout,  and  we  responded  willingly  to  the 
announcement  from  William  that,  "Supper's  ready,  gentle- 
men." 

With  rousing  appetites  we  disposed  of  the  feast 
spread  out  before  us,  and  then,  once  more  stretched  out 
before  the  camp  fire,  we  burned  our  incense  in  comfort 
and  contentment  with  all  the  world. 

"After  all,  Doctor,"  said  Frere,  "there  is  no  pleasure 
like  that  the  sportsman  enjoys." 

"Right  you  are,"  I  replied,  "and  no  other  sportsman 
gets  the  solid  satisfaction  that  the  fisherman  does." 

"I  believe  you  are  right,"  he  replied,  "there  is  noth- 
ing I  enjoy  so  much  as  angling." 


130  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

"No,  I've  tried  almost  everything,  have  shot  almost 
all  kinds  of  game,  and  have  had  my  share  of  yachting 
and  hunting,  but  I  find  nothing  that  begins  to  offer  a 
comparison  with  salmon  fishing." 

"No,"  said  Hiram,  "it's  a  king's  own  sport,  alto- 
gether." 

"  It  is  so,"  said  William,  who  had  been  busy  at  dish 
washing,  but  who  had  now  joined  our  group  at  the  fire, 
"and  it's  the  thing  that  proves  the  nature  of  a  man  better 
than  anything  else  I  know  of." 

"You're  right,  William,"  said  I.  "I  \yant  only  a  few 
hours  on  the  stream  with  a  man  to  find  out  exactly  what 
he  is.  If  he  is  a  gentleman,  bred  in  the  bone,  he  will 
not  fail  to  show  it." 

"And  if  he  is  the  other  thing,  he  cannot  hide  it, 
neither,"  replied  William. 

"  Many's  the  quare  divil  we've  been  out  with,  and 
many's  the  hog  we  found  out  among  them,  hey,  Hiram?" 

His  brother  grunted  an  assent,  but  made  no  other 
reply. 

"Yes,  there's  nothing  like  a  fishing  trip  with  a  man 
to  show  his  true  character,"  said  I. 

"I  remember  an  incident  that  will  illustrate  this.  I 
was  once  fishing  a  river  in  Nova  Scotia  with  a  man  whom 
I  had  always  considered  a  perfect  type  of  a  gentleman,  but 


- 
132  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

inside  of  three  days  he  exhibited  traits  that  I  would  not 
have  supposed  he  possessed. 

"We  were  stopping  at  the  same  hotel,  and  had  the 
river  all  to  ourselves.  At  the  beginning  we  agreed  to 
draw  lots  for  pools,  and  it  being  my  first  choice,  I  took 
the  first  pool  from  the  salt  water,  he  the  second,  I  the 
third,  and  so  on  through  the  whole  five  miles  of  fishing 
that  we  had. 

"  I  noticed  that  his  countenance  seemed  to  show  dis- 
satisfaction when  the  choices  were  made,  but  as  nothing 
could  possibly  be  fairer  than  our  arrangement,  I  took  no 
notice  of  his  discomfort.  He  had  fully  as  good  pools  as 
I  had,  and  I  could  think  of  no  more  equitable  way  of 
dividing  them. 

"  Well,  our  first  day  on  the  river  was  one  to  be  re- 
membered. We  left  the  hotel  together  and  walked  to 
the  river,  a  mile  or  so,  chatting  pleasantly  and  enjoying 
the  delightful  morning  hugely.  But  when  we  reached  the 
river,  and  I  began  rigging  for  my  first  cast  in  my  pool, 
instead  of  going  along  to  his  own,  he  sat  down  on  a  log 
and  began  grumbling  like  a  bear  with  a  sore  head. 

"'It's  just  my  infernal  luck,'  he  said,  'to  have  you 
get  this  pool.  I  always  liked  it,  and  in  fact  it's  a  favorite 
with  me.'  ' 

"That    was    a   good    starter,"    ejaculated    Hiram. 


J34  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

"Yes,"    I    replied. 

"'Well,'  I  said  to  him,  'I  don't  mind,  you  take  my 
pools  and  I'll  take  yours  to-day,  and  to-morrow  we  will 
change.' 

"'No,'  replied  my  friend,  'that  will  give  you  the 
fourth  pool  to-day,  and  as  that  is  the  best  pool  on  the 
river,  and  it  has  not  been  fished  lately,  I  am  sure  of  a 
salmon  in  it.' 

"  'Very  good,'  I  answered,  'we'll  stick  to  the  original 
programme.' 

"  By  this  time  I  was  rigged  and  ready  to  begin  cast- 
ing. My  friend  still  sat  on  his  log,  although  I  suggested 
he  had  better  take  advantage  of  the  early  fishing. 

"  I  began  casting,  and  rose  a  beautiful  fish  at  the 
third  cast.  I  missed  him,  and  then  such  a  growl  as  my 
companion  uttered  would  have  tried  the  patience  of  Job. 

"'Just  my  infernal  luck.  Oh!  what  a  beautiful  fish. 
If  I  had  had  this  pool.  Cuss  the  luck,'  etc.,  etc. 

"  I  waited  a  few  minutes  and  then  began  casting 
again,  and  soon  rose  and  hooked  my  salmon.  It  was  a 
bright  silvery  fish  just  from  the  sea. 

"Such  a  look  of  absolutely  green  jealousy  and  envy 
as  I  caught  on  the  face  of  my  friend,  I  had  never  seen 
before,  and  it  destroyed  all  the  pleasure  I  was  expecting. 
However,  I  played  the  fish  as  well  as  I  could,  but  I  felt 


With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera.  135 

nervous,  for  I  had  never  before  had  such  an  experience. 
Alas,  my  casting  line  parted  in  the  middle  of  one  of  the 
furious  runs  of  the  salmon,  and  he  was  free. 

"'Too  bad,  too  bad/  exclaimed  my  friend,  but  his 
countenance  belied  his  words,  for  if  ever  I  saw  a  face 
lighted  up  with  satisfaction  his  was. 

"He  took  his  rod  and  guide  and  started  off  for  the 
second  pool. 

"After   repairing   damages — the   fault   was   in    the   cast- 
ing  line,    a   flat   place   only   an    inch    in    length    in    the    gut 
having  broken,   all   the   rest   of  the  leader  being  perfect— 
I    cast    in    the    same    pool    again    for   a  while,    but  without 
any    success. 

"At  length  I  reeled  up,  and  with  my  guide  moved 
along  up  to  the  third  pool,  which  was  my  next  one.  As 
we  passed  the  second  my  friend  was  busy  casting,  but 
he  had  had  no  rises,  as  his  guide  informed  us. 

"At  the  third  pool  at  my  second  cast  1  hooked  and 
killed  a  grilse,  and  soon  after  rose  a  fine  salmon,  hooked 
and  played  him,  and  my  guide  was  just  on  the  point  of 
gaffing  the  fish  when  my  friend  joined  us. 

"He  came  down  the  path  with  a  bound,  and  as  we 
killed  the  salmon  he  burst  out  with  a  loud  '  I  congrat- 
ulate you ;  I  congratulate  you ! '  but  he  looked  ready  to 
cry. 


136  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

"All  this  made  me  so  uncomfortable  that  I  said  I 
would  give  him  the  balance  of  the  river  for  the  day,  for 
I  had  had  all  the  fishing  I  wanted,  and  with  my  guide 
carrying  my  salmon  and  grilse,  I  returned  to  the  hotel." 

"Ha,  ha!"  shouted  Hiram,  "that  man  wanted  the 
earth." 

"Well,"  I  continued,  "the  next  day  it  was  the  same 
story,  and  the  next.  Nothing  would  satisfy  him,  and  on 
the  evening  of  the  third  day,  I  told  him  that  on  the 
next  morning  I  was  going  to  another  river  a  few  miles 
away,  and  he  would  have  this  stream  all  to  himself,  and 
even  that  did  not  satisfy  him,  for  his  last  words  when  I 
left  him  on  the  following  day  were : 

"  '  Don't  kill  all  the  salmon  in  the  river,  for  I  ex- 
pect to  fish  it  in  a  few  days.' ' 

"He   was    a   hog   clean    through,"    exclaimed    Hiram. 

"He    was,"    assented    William. 

"Yes,  there  is  nothing  like  going  fishing  with  a  man 
to  give  one  a  true  insight  into  his  character,"  said  Frere. 

"Sure,"  responded  Hiram,  "and  it  don't  take  a  guide 
long  to  find  him  out." 

"Right   you    are,    Hiram,"    said    William. 

And  the  brothers  were  right;  no  one  can  size  up  a 
fisherman  as  correctly  and  quickly  as  an  old  guide,  and 
I  confess  I  always  make  my  first  casts  with  that  trepi- 


138  With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera. 

dation  when  I  am  out  with  a  new  man,  knowing,  as  I  do, 
that  my  every  movement  is  scanned  with  the  keenest  scru- 
tiny, and  my  every  word  weighed  in  a  balance  that  is 
unerring. 

"What  other  fish  do  you  find  in  the  Nova  Scotia 
waters  in  addition  to  the  sea  trout  and  salmon?"  asked 
Frere,  after  a  short  pause. 

"About  the  same  variety  that  we  find  in  the  New 
Brunswick  lakes  and  streams,"  I  replied,  "there  are  almost 
innumerable  lakes  in  the  interior  which  are  full  of  the 
spotted  trout  and  other  fish.  There  is  capital  land- 
locked salmon  fishing  in  some  of  the  lakes,  notably  Folly 
Lake,  thirty  miles  or  so  from  Halifax,  although  the  people 
there  call  it  grayling  fishing;  the  grayling,  however,  is 
quite  another  fish.  In  many  of  the  rivers  there  may  be 
taken  sea  trout  and  the  spotted  trout,  side  by  side,  and 
even  with  the  same  cast.  I  am  told  that  there  are  huge 
lake  trout  in  some  of  the  larger  bodies  of  water,  but  I 
cannot  say  with  certainty  as  to  the  truth  of  this,  as  I 
have  never  taken  any." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  lake  trout?"  inquired  Hiram, 
adjusting  the  logs  on  the  fire,  "are  they  anything  but 
overgrown  spotted  trout?" 

"Oh,  yes,"  I  answered,  "they  are  quite  a  different 
fish,  although  we  occasionally  take  spotted  or  brook  trout 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  139 

in  some  of  our  Maine  lakes  that  weigh  from  ten  to  twelve 
pounds." 

This  statement  was  received  by  a  look  of  incredulity 
by  the  guides. 

"Yes.  I  have  heard  of  the  big  trout  of  the  Range- 
ley  Lakes,"  said  Frere,  and  I  have  long  wished  for  an 
opportunity  to  have  a  cast  at  them." 

"Do  you  mean  that  they  are  the  genuine  spotted 
trout?"  asked  William,  still  apparently  incredulous. 

"Certainly,"  replied  Frere,  "at  least  all  the .  scientific 
men  pronounce  them  to  be  the  Simon-pure  brook  trout." 

"Well,  all  I  can  say  is,"  exclaimed  Hiram,  "I  would 
like  to  see  such  a  trout ;  we  get  them  as  high  as  five 
pounds,  or  perhaps  a  little  more  in  some  of  our  back 
lakes,  but  ten  or  twelve  pounds,  never." 

"How  do  they  differ  from  some  of  the  'lakers'  that 
we  get  in  the  big  lakes  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  those 
that  we  call  the  lunge  or  tuladi?"  asked  William. 

"Oh,  they  are  quite  different,"  I  answered,  "although 
in  some  seasons  and  conditions  of  the  water  the  two  va- 
rieties might  be  confounded  by  an  ordinary  observer.  I 
have  noticed  lake  trout  almost  as  highly  colored  as  the 
others,  and  specimens  of  both  that  could  hardly  be  sep- 
arated. Coloration  is  no  guide,  no  sure  guide  to  iden- 
tification, because  it  is  never  constant." 


140  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

"The  spotted  trout,  fontinalis,  is  always  square-tailed, 
Doctor,"  said  Frere. 

"Usually,  but  not  always,"  I  replied.  "I  have  seen 
specimens  with  distinctly  forked  tails,  in  localities  where 
the  'lakers'  are  unknown,  and  have  called  the  attention 
of  fishermen  to  the  fact,  when  I  have  taken  such." 

"But  you  have  never  seen  a  'laker'  with  a  forked 
tail,"  added  Frere. 

"  No,"  I  answered,  "  I  cannot  say  I  have,  and  that 
characteristic  furnishes  a  constant  means  of  identification 
of  that  fish." 

"I  have  heard  that  the  'lakers'  never  come  to  the 
lly,"  said  Frere,  "is  that  true?" 

"Yes,"  I  said,  "generally  speaking,  but  they  some- 
times do  take  the  fly,  as  I  have  seen  on  several  occa- 
sions, and  I  have  myself  twice  caught  them  in  this  way. 
Both  these  fish  gave  very  good  sport  indeed,  and  one  of 
them  gave  me  all  I  wanted  to  attend  to  for  over  half 
an  hour.  This  was  in  1860,  on  Grand  Lake  Stream.  I 
was  fishing  for  land-locked  salmon,  and  at  that  time  there 
was  fishing  there  that  was  fishing.  I  had  cast  out  across 
the  pool  just  below  the  old  dam,  and  the  eddy  or  back 
water  seized  my  line,  and  drew  the  fly  in  a  sweep  right 
across  the  water  below  the  sluice.  I  saw  a  fish  rise, 
and,  striking,  I  found  I  had  something  out  of  the  usual 


A  RANGELEY  TROUT.     NOT  HANDSOME,  BUT  IT  WEIGHED  n^  LBS. 


142  With    Fly- Rod   and    Camera. 

run.  The  fish  started  at  once  for  the  deepest  part  of 
the  pool,  and  there  he  hung.  My  Indian  guide,  Etienne 
Leweys,  after  a  few  minutes,  began  to  get  excited. 

"'What  kind  salmon  you  hitched  to?'  said  he.  'He 
no  jump,  no  run,  but  just  lay  still.' 

"  I  wacled  out  into  the  pool  up  to  my  waist,  but 
could  not  move  the  fish.  Every  now  and  then  I  could 
feel  his  head  shake,  and  the  line  gave  that  spasmodic 
quiver  which  one  always  feels  when  a  big  fish  is  hooked ; 
but  I  could  not  move  him.  I  gave  every  ounce  of  strain 
that  the  tackle  would  stand,  and  tried  all  the  expedients 
commonly  practiced  by  fishermen. 

"  Finding  that  I  could  not  move  the  fish,  I  told  the 
guide  to  get  into  the  canoe  and  stir  up  the  rascal  with 
his  setting  pole.  When  the  canoe  approached  the  fish  I 
could  feel  that  he  was  growing  nervous,  and  when  the 
Indian  thrust  down  the  pole  near  where  he  was  lying, 
with  one  dart  he  left  the  pool  and  made  for  the  rapids. 

"If  ever  a  fish  pulled,  that  one  did,  and  if  ever  one 
worked  hard  to  stop  him,  I  did.  The  reel  spun  out  the 
line,  and  like  an  arrow  the  fish  approached  the  quick 
water;  once  in  that  and  no  tackle  would  save  him.  Sud- 
denly he  turned,  and  making  a  sweep  around  the  further 
side  of  the  pool,  returned  to  his  original  position. 

"All  this  time  neither  myself  nor  the  Indian  had  seen 


IVith    Fly- Rod    and    Camera.  H3 

the  fish,  and  we  had  no  idea  as  to  what  he  was.  Reel- 
ing in  the  line  again,  I  gave  him  all  the  strain  I  could, 
but  he  was  too  strong  for  me.  I  told  Leweys  to  stir 
him  up  again,  and  the  same  performance  was  repeated 
as  at  first.  Evidently  the  fish  was  disinclined  to  go  down 
the  rapids,  and  that  being  the  case,  if  we  kept  him  mov- 
ing in  the  pool  we  knew  we  could  in  time  exhaust  him. 
My  wrist  and  arm  began  to  tire,  and  the  Indian  wanted 
to  take  the  rod,  but  I  had  no  notion  to  let  him  land 
my  fish. 

"To  make  a  short  story  of  it,  for  a  half  hour  we 
kept  that  fish  on  the  move.  Sometimes  he  darted  for 
the  sluice,  and  I  even  almost  expected  he  would  ascend 
to  the  lake  above ;  then  he  headed  for  the  rapids,  but 
always  lacked  the  courage  or  inclination  to  go  into  the 
white  water.  At  length  he  began  to  swim  in  narrower 
circles,  and  we  then  knew  that  the  strain  of  the  rod  had 
conquered  him.  As  we  had  absolutely  no  idea  as  to  what 
the  fish  was,  we  were,  well,  somewhat  excited.  Salmon 
he  was  not,  we  knew  very  well,  for  never  did  salmon 
behave  as  did  this  fish. 

"At  length  we  succeeded  in  landing  him,  and  then 
Leweys  exclaimed  'Togue!'  The  weight  of  the  fish  was 
about  fifteen  pounds. 

"There   are  a  good    many    other    instances    on    record 


J44  With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera. 

of  the  lake  trout  taking  the  fly,"  I  continued,  "although 
as  a  rule  he  can  be  taken  only  with  the  bait,  in  still- 
fishing,  or  by  trolling  with  the  spinning  minnow,  in  deep 
water."  * 

*  The  vagaries  and  caprices  of  the  Salmonida  in  accepting  and  rejecting  the 
artificial  fly  are  not  only  well  known  to  fishermen,  but  they  are  acknowledged  as 
being  no  safe  thing  to  reckon  on.  That  is  to  say,  no  one  can  declare  positively 
that  a  particular  variety  will  take  such  and  such  a  fly  always,  and  another  variety 
will  never  take  any  kind  of  a  fly.  So  that  when  we  see  the  statement  made  in 
fishing  books  that  lake  trout  always  refuse  the  fly,  we  will  receive  it  with  many 
grains  of  saline  allowance.  For  years  I  have  held  the  belief  that  the  toag  of  Grand 
Lake  and  some  of  the  other  Maine  lakes,  and  the  lunge  of  the  Connecticut  River 
lakes,  and  those  in  Canada,  are  identically  the  same  fish,  and  I  find  that  I  am  not 
alone  in  my  opinion. 

S.  Garman,  in  his  interesting  paper  on  "Salmon  and  Trout,"  published  in  the 
Massachusetts  Fish  Commissioners'  Report  for  1884,  groups  the  lake  trout  found  in 
"the  great  lakes,  and  their  tributaries,  eastward  to  the  Atlantic  and  northward  to 
Hudson's  Bay,"  into  one  species.  He  excepts  only  the  Salmo  siscowet,  found  in 
Lake  Superior,  and  includes  all  the  other  species  described  by  authors  as  S.  namay- 
cnsh,  amethystinus,  toma,  con  finis  and  fymmf tried,  calling  them  all  S.  iiauiaycush. 
I  do  not  know  that  I  am  prepared  to  follow  him  fully,  although  the  series  of  spe- 
cimens to  which  he  has  access  entitles  him  to  consideration.  If  we  have  but  two 
species  of  lake  trout  in  this  country,  it  is  very  important  that  fishermen  should  know 
it.  Of  course,,  color  and  markings  cannot  be  depended  on  in  establishing  species, 
for  these  vary  greatly.  Mr.  Garman  says,  in  describing  all  the  fish  grouped  as  S. 
namayeush,  that  the  color  is  "grayish  brown,  very  light  to  very  dark,  with  pale 
spots  on  the  sides  and  dark  marblings  on  the  cheeks,"  but  every  fisherman  knows 
that  the  color  will  vary  even  more  than  from  "very  light  to  very  dark." 

The  following  description  and  account  of  the  habits  of  the  togue  is  from  a  bro- 
chure on  this  fish,  published  by  A.  C.  Hamlin,  M.D.,  and  reprinted  in  the  second 
annual  report  upon  the  "Natural  History  and  Geology  of  the  State  of  Maine,  1882." 
I  present  it  here,  because,  so  far  as  my  own  observation  goes,  it  will  apply  to  most 
of  the  so-called  "lake  trout"  of  the  North  and  East.  I  omit  the  purely  technical 
portions  of  the  description . 

"The   togue,    Salmo   toina,    Hamlin.       This    trout,    known    among    the   aborigines 


IT'S  A  GOOD  ONE. 


146  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

"What  sort  of  a  fish  is  the  land-locked  salmon,  that 
you  spoke  of?"  asked  Hiram;  "I  don't  think  I  ever  saw 
one,  altogether." 

"Well,   Hiram,"   I   replied,   "as  near  as   I   can  describe 

as  the  togue,  tuladi,  etc.,  has  been  classed  by  some  observers  as  identical  with 
the  Salnifl  hncho  of  the  Danube  and  of  the  lakes  of  northern  Europe;  but  in 
these  classifications  peculiarities  of  anatomical  structure  have  been  overlooked,  and  the 
habits  of  the  two  fishes  have  also  been  noted  as  similar,  whereas  in  reality  they 
present  great  contrasts,  for  the  one,  agile  and  alert,  seeks  the  swift  and  foaming 
currents  of  the  clearest  streams,  anil  the  other,  sly  and  sluggish,  haunts  always  the 
quiet  waters  of  the  deepest  lakes.  It  is  mentioned  by  Mr.  (lesner  in  his  report 
upon  New  Brunswick,  and  identified  with  the  Sal/no  lactisfns  of  Lake  Geneva;  a 
proper  examination  of  the  two  fishes,  however,  will  satisfy  the  naturalist  that  few 
positive  analogies  can  be  drawn  ;  and  again  it  is  identified  with  the  Salmo  ferox  of 
Loch  Arve,  in  Scotland,  in  the  descriptive  catalogue  of  fishes  of  New  Brunswick, 
by  Mr.  Perley,  who  identifies  from  the  characters  drawn  by  Sir  \V,  Jardine  and  Mr. 
Yarrell,  some  of  which  would  certainly  lead  the  observer,  unless  minute,  into  the 
same  error,  for  it  cannot  be  denied  that  great  similarities  are  to  be  observed,  but 
there  are  also  as  many  with  the  .V.  etythinus  of  Siberia. 

"There  is  none  among  all  the  Salmonida  which  resembles  it  more  in  form,  color, 
linear  markings,  etc.,  than  the  .V.  siscowet  described  by  M.  Agassiz,  and  until  that 
eminent  naturalist  in  a  momentary  examination  observed  differences,  it  was  regarded 
as  identical  with  that  species. 

"In  shape  it  is  not  so  elegant  as  that  of  some  other  species  of  the  Salmonidte, 
but  its  whole  form  indicates  great  strength  and  swiftness,  although  it  has  the  repu- 
tation of  being  slow  and  sluggish.  The  female  is  more  perfect  in  its  proportions 
than  the  male,  not  having  that  gibbous  appearance  at  the  nape,  where  the  outlines 
of  the  head  pass  into  those  of  the  back,  and  besides  its  general  contour  is  more 
delicate.  A  rich,  pearly  lustre  covers  the  ventral  regions,  deepening  into  russet  to- 
ward the  lateral  line,  above  which  the  color  appears  of  a  deep  mottled  gray,  still 
deepening  into  blue  as  it  approaches  the  dorsal  summit.  The  same  pearly  hues, 
blended  and  intermingled  with  gray,  are  observed  upon  the  opercula.  Spots  and 
markings  of  a  light  sienna  color  appear  on  the  sides  ;  these  spots  are  circular,  with- 
out being  ocellate,  and  appear  indistinct  and  grayish  upon  the  dorsal  and  upon  the 
commencement  of  the  caudal.  All  these  colors  vary  according  to  the  seasons  and 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  147 

it,   it   looks   very   much   like   a   grilse,    hut   has   a   wider  tail 
and    higher    dorsal    or    back    fin." 

o 

"They  are  very  gamy,  I  am  told,"  remarked  Frere ; 
"friends  of  mine  who  have  taken  them  in  the  Schooclics 
describe  the  land-locks  as  being  full  of  life  and  great 
fighters." 

"Yes,"  I  answered,  "they  resemble  a  grilse  in  that 
respect,  they  jump  high  and  often,  and  are  very  strong 
for  their  size.  If  we  had  not  had  so  much  fish  talk  to- 
local  influences,  being  brighter  at  the  spawning  period  than  at  other  times.  This 
trout  inhabits  many  of  the  great  lakes  and  deep  mountain  tarns  of  Maine  and  New 
Brunswick,  but  it  is  believed  not  to  exist  in  those  of  eastern  New  Brunswick,  which 
singular  hiatus  in  its  distribution  perhaps  may  be  explained  by  the  absence  of  deep 
waters  in  that  country.  It  haunts  the  deepest  waters,  where  the  cold,  or  the  repose 
to  which  it  leads,  favors  that  development  and  conservation  of  fat  which  is  indeed 
a  characteristic,  and  it  steals  forth  in  quiet  at  the  approach  of  twilight  or  at  early 
morn  to  the  shoals  and  the  shores  in  quest  of  its  prey,  which  consists,  for  the  most 
part,  of  the  Lota  and  Cypriiiidic;  but  its  baffled  voracity  often  contents  itself  with 
substances  entirely  foreign,  as  its  stomach  presents  sometimes  a  heterogeneous  mass 
of  bones,  leaves,  twigs  and  fragments  of  decayed  wood.  Its  habits  vary  in  some 
localities;  in  certain  lakes  they  are  bold,  and,  ranging  near  the  surface,  at  times 
may  be  taken  by  trolling,  but  never  rising  to  the  fly,  while  in  other  lakes  they  are 
timid  and  seek  the  obscurest  recesses  ;  thus,  for  instance,  their  existence  in  the  Timk 
Lakes  was  unknown  for  more  than  half  a  century  to  the  inhabitants  living  near  their 
shores. 

"Its  mysterious  nature  has  furnished  the  all-observing"  Indian  with  some  proper 
idioms,  and  it  appears  again  in  the  vague  mythology  and  wild  legends  of  that  almost 
extinct  race.  Its  names  are  various  among  the  different  tribes,  and  if  the  present 
are  not  of  the  half-breed  Canadian  date  they  are  perhaps  of  recent  origin,  since  the 
few  remaining  dialects  have  changed  greatly  within  a  century  past.  Considering,  then, 
the  uncertainty  of  its  ancient  name  and  the  diversity  of  its  synonym,  1  propose  my 
friend  Toma  of  the  Openangos." 


148  With    Fly- Rod    and    Cam  era. 

night,  I  would  give  you  an  account  of  one  of  my  trips 
to  the  Schoodics  in  old  times ;  but  it  is  getting  late  and 
I  think  we  are  all  tired  enough  to  go  to  bed." 

"Oh,  it's  not  late  yet,"  exclaimed  Frere,  looking  at 
his  watch,  "it's  only  half-past  eight.  Fire  away,  and  let's 
hear  about  the  land-locks." 

"Yes,"  said  the  guides,  "we  can't  get  too  many  fish 
stories." 

•'Well,  fix  the  fire,  boys,"  said  I,  "and  1  will  do  as 
you  say." 

Hiram  arose,  and  drawing  the  half-burned  logs  to- 
gether in  the  middle  of  the  fire,  he  added  two  or  three 
large  ones  to  serve  as  side  sticks  and  fore  sticks. 

The  flames  and  sparks  shot  up  and  illuminated  the 
forest  about  us  in  a  way  that  the  camper-out  delights  in. 
What  is  there  more  cheerful  and  inspiring  than  such  a 
fire  as  that,  and  on  such  an  occasion  ? 

"It  was  away,  back  in  the  sixties  that  we  used  to 
get  our  best  fishing  in  the  Schoodics,"  I  began,  "and  it 
was  royal  sport  indeed.  There  are  now  huge  tanneries 
and  mills  on  the-  stream  where  we  had  the  best  success, 
and,  of  course,  they  have  injured  the  fishing  there,  al- 
though there  are  plenty  of  land-locks  left. 

"I  visited  the  stream  last  November  on  a  tour  I 
made  of  the  different  fish  hatcheries,  and  saw  six  or  seven 


150  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

hundred  beautiful  fish  swimming  about  in  the  corrals.  But 
in  those  days  that  I  speak  of  there  was  not  a  house  on 
the  stream ;  in  fact  it  was  a  wilderness,  as  one  might  say. 

"We  used  to  start  for  the  lakes  about  the  beginning 
of  September,  and  we  put  in  about  two  weeks  there.  We 
thus  not  only  avoided  the  black  flies  which  abounded  there 
in  the  spring  and  summer  months,  but  we  got  also,  in 
addition  to  the  fishing,  some  very  fine  shooting,"  there 
being  an  abundance  of  feathered  game  all  around  those 
lakes. 

"On  the  occasion  that  I  am  about  to  describe,  we 
left  Boston  in  one  of  the  fine  steamers  of  the  Interna- 
tional Steamship  Company.  I  had  two  friends  along  as 
companions,  both  of  them  visiting  the  Schooclics  on  this 
trip  for  the  first  time.  It  is  a  most  delightful  trip  from 
Boston  to  Eastport  on  one  of  these  steamers,  and  well 
worth  taking  even  for  the  trip  alone. 

"On  this  occasion  we  had  a  fine  run  to  Portland, 
at  which  city  we  arrived  at  about  four  o'clock  in  the  af- 
ternoon, and  as  we  had  a  large  amount  of  freight  to  un- 
load and  another  lot  to  take  on,  we  did  not  leave  until 
about  sundown. 

"There  was  a  piano  on  the  boat,  and  one  musically 
inclined  young  man  thrummed  some  popular  airs  on  it, 
a  portion  of  the  audience  joining  in  the  choruses.  Their 


FALLS  ON  A  TRIBUTARY  OF  THE  CASCAPEDIA  RIVER,  P.  (,). 


152  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

voices  were  not  always  'tuned  to  one  harmonious  key,' 
and  the  piano  was  not  of  the  best,  still  it  was  music,  and 
music  on  the  water  is  always  acceptable,  as  I  have  proved 
on  many  occasions.  Once,  while  making  a  Western  trip, 
I  found  myself  an  a  river  steamer  which  was  blessed,  or, 
if  you  prefer,  the  contrary,  with  a  calliope.  No  one  on 
board  seemed  to  know  how  to  play  it,  but  when  the  cap- 
tain learned  that  I  could  play  the  piano,  he  insisted  that 
I  should  try  the  calliope.  I  went  and  tried !  And  such 
an  experience  as  I  had !  There  was  a  keyboard  corres- 
ponding to  that  on  a  piano,  each  key  being  connected 
with  a  valve,  which  when  opened  by  pressure  on  the  key, 
emitted  a  screech,  approximating  to  some  tone.  Harmony 
on  the  instrument  was  bad,  for  the  tones  and  intervals 
were  far  from  perfect,  but  the  air  played  sounded  some- 
thing like  what  it  should  be. 

"Well,  I  went  at  the  calliope,  and  after  a  few  pre- 
liminary flourishes  to  get  the  hang  of  the  thing,  I  began 
the  'Brindisi'  in  'II  Trovatore.'  Soon  I  had  an  audience 
of  about  fifty  Buckeyes,  Hoosiers,  etc.,  with  their  wives 
and  sweethearts,  and  they  were  not  satisfied  until  I  had 
exhausted  my  repertoire.  When  I  state  that  every  note 
went  through  my  head  like  a  clap  of  thunder,  and  that 
the  valves  leaked  the  steam  so  badly  that  I  was  envel- 
oped in  a  cloud  worse  than  a  Russian  bath,  and  intensely 


u 


X54  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

warm,  you  will  honestly  acknowledge  that  I  earned  the 
applause  I  obtained." 

"Ha,  ha!"  laughed  Frere,  "you  worked  your  passage." 

"  I    did,"    I    replied.       "  But    to    resume    my    story. 

"After  we  had  two  hours  of  singing  in  the  cabin,  we 
sought  our  staterooms  and  slept  soundly  until  daybreak. 
On  going  on  deck  we  found  that  the  day  promised  to 
be  fair,  but  a  good  sea  was  on.  A  number  of  hardy 
souls  were  'forrard'  enjoying  the  magnificent  sunrise;  we 
joined  them,  and  until  we  reached  the  wharf  at  Eastport, 
we  had  a  most  enjoyable  sail. 

"The  shores  of  northeastern  Maine  are  remarkably 
picturesque ;  sometimes  immense  ledges  break  abruptly 
from  the  ocean  and  tower  aloft  hundreds  of  feet ;  their 
surfaces  are  deeply  fissured  and  broken,  and  the  beating 
waves  ascending,  enter  numerous  caves  and  inlets,  then 

o 

descending  again,  the  water  gushes  from  the  fissures  and 
caverns  in  a  series  of  most  beautiful  cascades.  Anon, 
richly  wooded  hills  appear,  then  pastures,  farms  and  vil- 
lages. Sometimes  the  shores  are  so  abrupt,  that  the 
steamer  passes  almost  within  a  biscuit- toss  of  them,  and 
the  thunder  of  the  great  paddle  wheels,  the  hissing  of 
the  water  before  the  cutting  prow,  the  voices  of  the  peo- 
ple on  the  deck,  all  are  echoed  back  with  wonderful  dis- 
tinctness. 


156  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

"Sometimes  a  lighthouse  is  seen  perched  on  a  ledge 
ahead.  As  we  approach  the  gray  old  wave -beaten  sen- 
tinel, the  light  keeper,  who  has  been  watching  our  com- 
ing, salutes  us  by  ringing  his  ponderous  fog  bell.  The 
rich,  sad  tones  steal  over  the  waters  and  are  lost  in  the 
immense  space  beyond.  We  acknowledge  the  salute  by 
blowing  the  steamer's  whistle,  and  then  pass  on. 

"At  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  we  reached  the  wharf 
at  Eastport,  and  were  transferred  to  the  river  steamer 
which  plies  between  Eastport  and  Calais.  After  a  half 
hour's  delay  we  started.  Passing  through  St.  Croix  Bay 
we  commenced  the  ascent  of  the  St.  Croix  River,  and 
at  about  four  o'clock  reached  Calais,  our  destination. 

"Here  we  secured  rooms  for  the  niirht  at  one  of  the 

o 

hotels,  and  set  about  procuring  and  packing  our  stores 
for  our  outing.  On  the  following  morning  we  took  the 
train  for  the  lakes.  The  road  is,  or  was,  operated  by 
the  lumber  companies  along  the  river,  and  the  trains  were 
run  almost  entirely  in  their  interest. 

"Our  train  on  this  occasion  was  a  long  one,  a  num- 
ber of  open  cars  with  long  benches  being  attached  to  the 
regular  train  for  the  accommodation  of  a  picnic  party  on 
an  excursion  to  a  grove  somewhere  on  the  line.  What 
a  chattering,  happy,  rosy,  careless  crowd  it  was !  Sires 
and  dames  with  huge  baskets  of  provender,  careful  swains, 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  157 

and  beautiful  red-lipped  tempting  lasses,  youths  in  spen- 
cers and  newly  donned  breeches,  and  little  maidens  re- 
joicing in  shining  faces,  curly  tresses  and  clean  pinafores. 
How  they  tumbled  into  the  cars,  and  without  loss  of  time 
scrambled  into  the  first  convenient  seats.  Here  a  buxom 
dame  with  half  a  dozen  little  ones  in  her  lap  or  swarm- 
ing about  her  seat ;  there  a  patient  old  lady,  with  neat 
cap  hidden  beneath  a  huge  sun  bonnet,  trying  to  quiet 
a  youngster  who  was  almost  irrepressible.  Yonder,  three 
or  four  pretty  girls  of  fifteen  or  sixteen  cast  furtive  glances 
at  us,  and  then,  when  detected,  joined  in  one  harmonious 
giggle.  Behind  us  a  tender  swain,  evidently  past  asking 
the  anxious  question,  was  seated  with  his  inamorata  in 
his  lap,  and  folded  in  his  would-be  tender  arms. 

"If  that  party  did  not  have  a  jolly  time,  a  roaring 
jolly  time,  when  it  got  into  the  grove  and  indulged  in 
all  the  phases  of  a  rustic  picnic,  I  am  greatly  mistaken. 
It  had  all  the  essentials ;  the  day  was  pleasant ;  big  bas- 
kets in  great  numbers  were  to  be  seen  on  all  sides ;  the 
sexes  were  just  fairly  proportioned,  with  the  female  ele- 
ment in  the  proper  majority,  of  course.  Black  flies  and 
mosquitoes  were  non  est,  and  what  was  there  to  prevent 
enjoyment?  I  am  greatly  in  error  if,  before  nightfall,  not 
more  than  one  tender  story  was  told  beneath  the  shady 
pines  and  hemlocks,  if  there  was  not  more  than  one  soft 


158  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

promise,  one  tremulous  whispered  assent,  one  long-drawn 
sigh  of  tender  passion." 

"Yes,  yes,  that's  first-rate,  and  mighty  interesting," 
interrupted  Frere,  "1)111  where  do  your  land-locked  salmon 
come  in?" 

"We'll    come    to    them    shortly,"    I    replied. 

"When  we  reached  the  station  at  Leweys  Island,  the 
terminus  of  the  railroad,  and  the  point  of  departure  for 
the  Schooclics,  we  found  the  miscellaneous  crowd  that  al- 
ways assembles  at  such  out-of-the-way  places  for  the  arrival 
of  the  train. 

"Among  the  faces  I  recognized  my  old  Indian  guides 
Etienne  Leweys,  Sol  Sepsis,  Pete,  his  brother,  and  others, 
who  greeted  us  heartily.  In  a  short  time  our  luggage 
was  removed  from  the  cars  to  the  canoes  which  we  were 
to  have,  and  as  soon  as  we  had  changed  our  clothes  at 
the  hotel  for  others  better  adapted  to  bush  life,  we  joined 
our  guides  at  the  shore,  .and,  embarking  in  the  birches, 
were  soon  upon  the  waters  of  Big  Lake,  the  lower  of 
the  chain. 

"Our  guides  were  old  Pete  Sepsis,  one  of  the  most 
reliable  Indians  on  the  lake,  and  Mitchell  Leweys,  the 
oldest  son  of  Etienne,  a  good  canoeman  and  a  first-rate 
all-round  man  for  a  fishing  or  hunting  trip  in  that  section. 
My  companions,  who  were  a  little  of  the  'light-weight' 


o> 


160  W/itJi    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

order,  occupied  Sepsis's  canoe,  while  I,  together  with  a 
greater  portion  of  the  luggage,  made  a  good  load  for 
Leweys's  birch. 

"The  Passamaquoddy  birch  glides  over  the  water  like 
an  eggshell,  and  with  a  sturdy  hand  at  the  paddle  it  goes 
with  surprising  swiftness.  In  less  than  three-quarters  of 
an  hour  we  had  reached  Indian  Point,  a  settlement  of 
Indians  five  miles  above  the  island,  and  this  too  with  the 
canoes  loaded  wrell  down  with  ourselves  and  bao^ao-e. 

r>o     o 

"This  settlement  comprised  some  four  hundred  souls. 
It  was  in  a  flourishing  condition,  had  a  school  house,  a 
priest  house,  or  church,  and  there  were  about  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  under  cultivation,  growing  Indian  corn, 
potatoes,  beans,  wheat,  oats  and  vegetables,  in  fact  nearly 
everything  grown  on  northern  farms  except  fruit,  the  sea- 
sons being  too  short  for  its  successful  culture. 

"After  landing  at  the  settlement,  and  inspecting  the 
various  improvements,  spending  a  short  half  hour,  we  re- 
turned to  the  canoes. 

"The  passage  up  the  lake  was  charming.  The  wind 
was  blowing  fresh  and  a  considerable  sea  was  running — in 
fact  I  almost  expected  once  or  twice  to  be  swamped,  but 
the  frail  birch  swam  buoyantly  over  the  waves,  impelled 
at  a  rapid  rate  by  the  powerful  strokes  of  the  Indian's 
paddle. 


IV it] i    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  161 

"The  immense  stretch  of  water  faded  away  in  the 
dis-tant  horizon,  with  but  a  thin  strip  of  hills  beyond. 
The  shores  of  the  lake  are  generally  rather  low,  not  high 
nor  mountainous,  and  the  surrounding  country  is  much 
more  level  than  the  lake  country  in  the  western  part  of 
Maine  near  the  Rangeley  Lakes. 

"We  reached  the  outlet  of  the  Grand  Lake  Stream 
late  in  the  afternoon,  and  landing  our  baggage,  my  com- 
panions busied  themselves  in  pitching  the  tent,  making 
beds,  and  putting  on  the  camp  kettle  and  potato  pot  over 
the  rousing  fire,  which  was  soon  kindled  by  old  Sepsis. 
Leweys  and  I  re-entered  our  canoe  as  soon  as  I  had  got 
my  tackle  ready,  and  he  poled  the  birch  out  into  the  ra- 
pids in  order  that  we  might  try  the  land-locks.  When 
we  were  in  a  good  position,  I  began  casting,  and  in  a 
very  short  time  I  got  a  rise,  and  rise  it  was  indeed,  for 
a  handsome  fish,  an  exact  counterpart  of  a  grilse,  but  not 
so  large,  leaped  clear  of  the  water,  and  seized  my  fly  as 
I  was  lifting  it.  Fortunately  my  line  was  straight,  or  my 
tip  would  have  gone. 

"In  an  instant  he  was  darting  down  the  stream,  spin- 
ning my  line  from  the  reel  with  a  speed  that  made  my 
nerves  tingle.  What  frantic  efforts  he  made  to  free  him- 
self ;  but  in  vain ;  the  hook  was  securely  fastened,  and  no 
leaping  or  running  or  jumping  would  avail  him.  After 


1 62  With    Fly- Rod   and    Camera. 

playing  him  a  short  time,  the  landing-  net  was  passed 
under  him,  and  he  was  lifted  into  the  canoe.  It  was 
my  first  fish  of  the  season,  and  what  a  beauty  he  was 
—a  miniature  salmon  in  almost  every  particular. 

"In  a  short  time  I  secured  another,  and  with  these 
we  returned  to  camp.  Old  Sepsis  glanced  at  them  ap- 
provingly, and  said,  '  Good  luck ;  fish  mighty  skace,  leetle 
too  early  for  urn.' 

"The  fish  were  soon  fried,  and  supper  was  ready; 
and  such  a  meal  as  we  ate !  The  potatoes  and  fish  dis- 
appeared as  if  by  magic,  and  the  other  comestibles  suf- 
fered in  proportion. 

"After  the  meal  was  disposed  of;  I  climbed  the  hill 
above  the  camp  to  take  a  view  of  the  scene.  Every  stone, 
every  tuft  of  grass,  every  clump  of  bushes  and  group  of 
trees  looked  as  familiar  and  unaltered  as  if  I  had  left 
them  but  the  day  before.  It  almost  seemed  as  if  every 
whisper  in  the  leaves  of  the  trees  was  a  welcome  to  me, 
as  if  they  were  saying,  'We're  glad  to  see  you  once  more 
up  here  in  the  wilderness.'  However,  whether  they  were 
glad  to  see  me  or  not,  I  was  happy  to  be  once  more 
among  them  and  enjoy  their  pleasant  company. 

"We  awoke  next  morning  at  daybreak,  and  after  a 
turn  at  the  fire,  for  the  mornings  were  already  quite  cool, 
we  entered  the  canoes  for  a  raid  among  the  ducks,  which 


164  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

at  that  season  of  the  year  were  very  abundant  among  the 
reeds  and  swales  on  the  shores,  and  at  the  outlets  of  the 
small  rivers  and  streams  which  empty  into  the  lakes.  My 
two  friends  started  in  old  Sepsis's  canoe,  while  I  had  the 
younger  Indian  to  myself. 

"The  ducks  most  abundant  were  the  dusky  or  black 
duck  (Anas  obscura],  the  summer  duck,  the  golden-eyed 
duck,  sometimes  called  the  whistler,  and  the  hooded  mer- 
ganser. They  were  fully  feathered,  and  although  not  ex- 
tremely wild,  still  were  hard  to  kill,  flying  fast  and  strong, 
and  getting  up  at  pretty  long  range. 

"  I  directed  my  canoeman  to  steer  at  once  for  the 
stream  called  Little  Silver  by  sportsmen,  and  before  we 
reached  its  waters  we  heard  the  quacking  of  the  black 
ducks  and  prating  or  prattling  of  the  summer  ducks,  in- 
dicating that  the  reports  of  my  friends'  pieces  who  were 
busy  among  the  reeds  at  the  outlet,  had  warned  the  game 
that  the  enemy  was  moving. 

"In  a  few  minutes  we  were  silently  gliding  among 
the  lily  pads  and  reeds  in  the  river,  and  before  we  had 
traversed  twenty  rods  of  its  length  the  low  'hist'  of  the 
Indian,  and  his  whispered  warning  that  there  was  'much 
duck  ahead'  showed  me  that  the  moment  for  action  had 
arrived.  Cocking  both  hammers  of  my  gun,  I  sank  down 
into  the  canoe  and  scanned  the  water  around,  but  not  a 


With    Fly- Rod   and    Camera.  165 

duck  was  visible ;  I  looked,  and  strained  my  eyes,  but 
without  success. 

"There  was  my  guide,  anxious  and  demonstrative  at 
the  near  presence  of  a  'heap  of  duck,'  while  I  was  as 
oblivious  of  their  position  as  a  blind  man.  'You  no  see 
him  duck?  Much  duck!  There,  you  no  see  him — one, 
two,  three,  many?'  was  his  eager  whispered  inquiry,  but 
the  birds  were  still  invisible. 

"Shortly,  as  we  silently  moved  close  along  the  bank 
of  the  stream,  I  saw  a  quick  movement  in  the  grass  a 
long  gunshot  off,  and  then  detected  the  crouching  forms 
of  a  number  of  wood  ducks. 

"The  Indian,  when  he  found  that  I  had  seen  the 
birds,  relapsed  into  his  usual  quiet,  and  gave  his  whole 
attention  to  their  movements  and  to  obtaining  a  nearer 
approach  to  them.  Silently  his  paddle  moved — not  a  rip- 
ple, not  a  bubble  showed  that  we  were  drawing  near;  but 
plainer  grew  the  outlines  of  the  birds  among  the  grass, 
plainer  the  exquisite  beauty  of  their  plumage,  their  ele- 
gance of  form.  A  movement  among  them — they  huddled 
close  down  and  were  for  a  moment  almost  invisible.  Now 
was  the  moment  to  pour  in  the  leaden  hail  among  their 
numbers,  but  in  an  instant  it  passed,  and  the  ducks  with 
outcries  of  alarm  arose  in  one  huge  flock,  and  with  swift 
wing  sped  across  the  bogs. 


1 66  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

"  But  all  of  them  were  not  successful  in  their  flight, 
for  with  one  barrel  I  cut  down  a  fine  drake,  which  fell 
into  the  river,  and  with  the  other  I  dropped  two  more, 
which  fell  among  the  swale  and  mud  of  the  bogs. 

"  Recharging  my  gun,  I  picked  up  my  game  with  my 
landing  net,  and  we  continued  up  the  river.  At  every 
few  rods  we  flushed  small  flocks  of  ducks,  but  they  had 
been  alarmed  at  the  firing  and  arose  always  beyond  gun- 
shot. At  length,  as  we  were  drawing  near  to  the  end  of 
navigable  water,  the  trees  and  underbrush  growing  up 
among  the  swale,  the  Indian  paused  and  motioned  to  a 
clump  of  lily  pads  and  grass  but  a  few  rods  from  the 
canoe.  I  carefully  scanned  the  spot,  but,  saving  a  slight 
ripple,  could  detect  nothing.  Keeping  perfectly  motion- 
less and  closely  watching,  at  length  we  caught  a  glimpse 
of  a  duck,  as  it  appeared,  and  in  an  instant  it  was  gone 
beneath  the  surface. 

"  Leweys  could  not  understand  it.  'Where  he  gone?' 
he  whispered;  'he  here  a  minute,  den  gone.'  What  the 
bird  was  that  dived  so  quickly  from  sight  I  knew  at  once, 
the  habits  of  the  grebe  being  familiar  to  me,  but  '  Little 
Indian,'  as  we  called  Leweys  (to  distinguish  him  from 
Sepsis,  whom  we  called  'Big  Indian'),  was  not  satisfied, 
and  would  not  believe  that  it  was  not  a  duck  adopting 
this,  to  him,  novel  mode  of  escape,  and  I  was  obliged  to 


CJ 


1 68  With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera. 

shoot  the  bird  to  show  that  I  was  right  in  my  declaration 
of  its  identity. 

"At  the  report  of  my  gun  it  seemed  as  if  the  whole 
meadow  was  changed  to  a  swarm  of  ducks — in  all  direc- 
tions they  arose  in  clouds,  and  the  beating  of  their  wings 
and  their  loud  cries  for  an  instant  deprived  me  of  the 
power  of  action  ;  but  quickly  I  selected  a  thick  bunch  and 
sent  among  it  the  contents  of  my  second  barrel.  Three 
fell,  a  black  duck  and  two  whistlers ;  one  of  the  latter 
winged  and  consequently  able  to  escape,  which  he  ulti- 
mately did,  taking  covert  in  the  swale.  This  was  not  the 
only  bird  that  we  lost  on  the  bogs  during  our  trip,  but 
owing  to  the  treacherous  character  of  the  mud  we  could 
not  walk  upon  it ;  the  whole  surface  undulated  at  every 
step,  and  if  we  for  an  instant  paused  we  felt  ourselves 
sinking.  If  one  breaks  through  the  upper  surface,  down 
he  goes,  out  of  sight  in  an  instant. 

"The  formation  of  these  bogs  is  well  known.  The 
streams  and  rivers  bring  down  during  their  spring  rise  or 
freshet  vast  quantities  of  alluvial  matter.  While  they  are 
running  a  deposit  is  prevented  from  forming,  but  as  soon 
as  they  reach  the  still  waters  of  the  lake  their  motion 
is  arrested,  the  alluvium  sinks  to  the  bottom,  increases 
and  extends,  and  gradually  becomes  firmer  and  firmer. 
At  length  it  rises  out  of  the  water,  and  at  once  becomes 


Fly-  Rod    and    Camera.  169 


the  receptacle  for  the  myriads  of  seeds  of  grasses  and 
other  plants  which  are  carried  from  place  to  place  on  the 
wind. 

"  I  have  in  my  mind  one  of  these  bogs,  situated  at 
the  mouth  of  a  large  river  which  empties  into  a  lake, 
which  extends  on  both  sides  of  the  river  for  a  width  of 
at  least  half  a  mile  to  a  distance  of  two  miles  from  the 
outlet.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  river  must  have  been  for 
ages  making  so  vast  a  deposit. 

"We  picked  up  our  birds  as  soon  as  I  recharged  my 
gun,  and  started  on  our  return  to  camp.  We  got  no  more 
shots  on  our  passage  back,  although  we  saw  an  abundance 
of  game  ;  it  was  thoroughly  alarmed  and  kept  at  a  safe 
distance. 

"Our  companions,  who  had  had  fair  success,  were  in 
camp  before  us,  and  breakfast  was  already  far  in  course 
of  preparation.  Soon  the  delicious  viands  were  served, 
and  with  appetites  sharpened  by  our  early  hunt,  we  fell 
to,  and  although  an  abundance  was  provided,  we  left  noth- 
ing but  the  bones  of  ducks  and  fish  when  we  arose  from 
the  table. 

"At  about  nine  o'clock  we  broke  camp,  and  packing 
our  luggage,  started  over  the  three-mile  carry  for  the  dam 
at  the  outlet  of  Grand  Lake,  at  which  place  we  arrived 
with  all  our  traps,  and  a  fine  bunch  of  ruffed  grouse  in 


170  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

our  game  bags,  which  we  shot  while  making  th.e  portage. 
The  dam  was  a  structure  of  heavy  timber,  erected  by 
the  lumber  companies  across  the  outlet  of  Grand  Lake 
for  the  purpose  of  raising  the  water  in  the  lake  in  the 
spring,  and  by  its  accumulation  expedite  the  'driving'  of 
the  logs  to  the  mills  far  below.  Of  course  the  immense 
volume  of  water  which  rushed  through  the  stream  wore 
out  a  rough  and  rocky  channel,  and  the  boulders  and  deep 
eddies  behind  them  were  numerous. 

"At  this  locality  great  numbers  of  land-locked  salmon 
were  found,  and  the  best  fishing  was  there  counted  on 
while  the  season  lasted.  It  is  all  changed  now,  and  where 
we  then  pitched  our  tent  with  no  other  human  habitation 
near,  stands,  as  I  said  before,  an  immense  tannery,  and  a 
village  has  sprung  up  on  each  side  of  the  river. 

"  It  took  but  little  time  to  put  our  new  camp  in 
order,  and  as  threatening  clouds  began  to  arise,  we  hast- 
ened to  provide  against  the  rigors  of  a  possibly  long 
storm.  The  Indians  began  to  get  together  a  good  quan- 
tity of  firewood,  and  I  and  my  two  friends  took  our  rods 
and  started  for  the  stream  to  secure  a  good  supply  of 
fish. 

"  I  ngged  a  strong  leader  with  two  flies  and  made  a 
cast  over  a  deep  hole  just  below  the  dam.  In  an  in- 
stant I  was  fast  to  a  splendid  salmon.  The  tremor  of 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  171 

excitement  which  always  seizes  the  fisherman  when  he 
finds  himself  opposed  to  a  strong-  fish  came  to  me,  but 
it  passed  in  a  moment,  for  I  felt  that  I  should  have  all 
I  could  attend  to  in  that  powerful  stream.  With  a  wild 
dart  the  salmon  struck  for  the  rapids ;  my  tackle  was  not 
heavy  enough  to  restrain  him,  for  I  was  using  a  light 
single-handed  rod  and  an  ordinary  trout  line  of  about 
fifty  yards  in  length. 

"Down  the  stream  my  fish  started,  and  I  followed 
to  the  best  of  my  ability.  Feeling  my  way  cautiously 
over  the  slippery  stones,  I  was  soon  in  about  three  feet 
of  water  and  going  at  my  best  pace.  Those  who  have 
never  had  the  experience  have  no  idea  of  the  force  of 
the  water  in  such  a  river.  As  one  wades  among  rocks 
and  stones,  through  pools  and  across  deceitful  eddies,  the 
water  sometimes  rises  over  the  waist,  cold,  pressing  against 
one  with  almost  resistless  power.  The  initiated  know  of 
all  the  strength,  all  the  courage,  all  the  caution,  that  must 
be  called  upon.  Such  a  situation  is  in  itself  exhilarating 
and  exciting,  but  add  to  it  the  thrilling  rush  of  a  large 
fish,  the  feints,  \\\c  leaps,  the  dexterous  power  with  which 
he  avails  himself  at  every  turn,  and  the  skill  and  judg- 
ment that  must  be  exercised  in  order  to  subjugate  him, 
and  one  has  an  experience  such  as  nothing  else  can  offer. 

"Through    the    rapids    I    followed   my   salmon,   steady- 


172  With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera. 

ing  myself  with  my  left  hand  as  best  I  could  with  the 
handle  of  my  landing  net,  and  holding  my  rod  well  up 
in  my  right.  My  line  was  nearly  exhausted  when  the 
fish  reached  the  pool,  but  I  still  had  enough  left  for  an 
emergency.  The  fish  as  soon  as  he  arrived  at  the  quiet 
waters  sank  to  the  bottom.  I  approached  him  rapidly, 
and  reeling  in  my  line  with  the  utmost  expedition,  soon 
had  but  ten  or  fifteen  yards  out.  Giving  a  lift  with  the 
rod  I  essayed  to  move  him,  but  for  a  few  seconds  he 
would  not  stir.  At  length  he  rushed  to  the  surface  and 
jumped  clear  of  the  water  several  feet,  repeating  his  leap 
three  times  in  a  twinkling.  He  then  showed  signs  of 
fatigue,  and  in  a  very  short  time  he  turned  on  his  side 
and  I  had  him  in  my  landing  net.  It  was  a  very  hand- 
some fish  and  the  largest  I  had  yet  taken  of  that  species, 
its  weight  being  about  four  pounds. 

"Adjusting  my  tackle,  I  returned  to  the  upper  pool, 
and  in  a  very  short  time  was  playing  another  large  fish. 
In  a  few  minutes  he  seemed  exhausted,  and  I  reeled  him 
in  to  within  four  feet  of  my  net,  when  with  a  sudden 
and  most  unexpected  rush  he  broke  the  'leader  near  the 
point  at  which  it  was  attached  to  the  line  and  darted 
across  the  pool,  a  fly  in  his  mouth  and  another  trailing 
on  behind  him.  Almost  immediately  another  fish  seized 
the  free  ily,  and  the  commotion  the)'  raised  must  have 


o 


174  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

been  startling  to  their  finny  brothers  around  them.  Dart- 
ing- about  in  the  water,  and  jumping-  sometimes  several 
feet  clear  from  it,  they  tried  to  rid  their  mouths  of  the 
hooks,  but  they  found  it  impossible,  and  soon  they  dis- 
appeared down  the  stream,  jumping  and  splashing  in  a 
most  extraordinary  manner. 

li  I  soon  rigged  a  new  cast,  but  confined  myself  then 
and  thereafter  to  a  single  fly.  I  had  great  sport-,  for  in 
less  than  an  hour  I  had  six  beautiful  fish.  'Enough  is 
as  good  as  a  feast.'  I  gathered  up  my  trophies  and  re- 
turned to  camp.  My  friends  had  met  with  gratifying  suc- 
cess, and  we  had  an  ample  provision  for  stormy  weather 
if  it  should  chance  to  come.  Notwithstanding  the  threat- 
ening signs  the  storm  did  not  come,  and  the  next  day 
dawned  bright  and  fair. 

"After  breakfast  we  packed  up  and  started  for  the 
upper  lakes.  For  a  greater  part  of  its  area  Grand  Lake 
is  very  deep,  sometimes  as  much  as  one  or  two  hundred 
feet.  In  the  solitude  of  these  depths,  behind  huge  rocks 
in  sunshiny  days,  waiting  for  the  shadows  of  evening  to 
tempt  them  from  their  retreats,  lay  the  huge  spotted  lake 
trout,  called  by  the  fishermen  and  Indians  'togue.'  They 
are  of  an  average  weight  of  ten  pounds,  but  often  run 
up  to  twenty  or  twenty-five.  Generally  they  will  not  take 
the  fly,  but  will  sometimes  bite  at  a  spoon  or  spinner 


With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera.  175 

such  as  the  pickerel  fishermen  in  Massachusetts  generally 
use.  When  we  had  fairly  got  out  in  the  lake,  Leweys 
advised  me  to  throw  out  a  spoon  fastened  to  a  long  line. 
I  took  my  bass  line,  of  stout  braided  silk,  and  making 
fast  a  spoon  let  it  trail  out  forty  yards  behind  the  canoe. 
Soon  I  felt  a  heavy  tug,  and  hauling  in  hand  over  hand, 
as  we  do  in  bluefishing  off  Nantucket,  I  in  a  short  time 
had  my  fish  alongside  the  canoe.  It  was  a  Schoodic  sal- 
mon, not  a  togue,  and  the  Indian  expressed  his  surprise 
at  getting  him  with  the  spoon,  it  being  the  first  occur- 
rence of  the  kind  in  his  experience. 

"  Hauling  him  in,  I  threw  my  line  over  again,  and  it 
trailed  along  behind  the  canoe,  Leweys  paddling  at  about 
half  speed.  Soon  I  hooked  another  and  another ;  and  as 
the  lake  seemed  alive  with  this  fish  and  the  togue  would 
not  bite,  I  gave  it  up  and  hauled  in  my  line. 

"Making  myself  as  comfortable  as  possible,  with  the 
bottom  of  the  canoe  for  a  seat  and  the  'hard-tack'  box 
for  a  support  for  my  back,  I  soon  sank  into  that  dreamy 
languor  that  one  always  experiences  when  moving  over 
the  water,  the  ripples  jingling  softly  along  the  sides  of 
the  birch,  and  the  measured  stroke  of  the  paddle  marking 
with  monotonous  precision  the  speed  and  progress  that 
one  is  making.  And  what  can  be  more  delicious  ?  The 
blue  sky,  reflected  by  the  surface  of  the  lake,  that  mirrors 


176  With    Fly- Rod   and    Camera. 

with  the  precision  of  glass  the  fleecy  clouds  passing  above 
it,  sometimes  of  a  milky  whiteness,  then  buff,  cream  color 
or  purple,  as  the  rays  of  the  sun  fall  upon  their  greater 
or  less  density ;  the  smoothly  moving  canoe ;  the  gentle 
breeze,  laden  with  the  aroma  of  the  woods,  and  giving  a 
health  and  vigor  that  is  wonderful ;  and  to  these  add  the 
wild  hunting  stories  of  an  Indian  guide,  the  narration  of 
wonderful  encounters  with  the  wild  denizens  of  the  forest, 
or  accounts  of  successful  trapping  excursions  away  on  the 
Aroostook  and  St.  Johns  River  country,  alternating  with 
scraps  of  song  or  melody  hummed  to  the  accompaniment 
of  the  paddle's  stroke." 

"That's  pretty  good,"  said  Frere,  but  a  little  more 
iish  and  less  rhapsody  would  be  just  as  acceptable." 

Frere   was   a   very   practical    fellow. 

The   guides   laughed. 

"All  right,"  I  replied.  "  I  thought  you  wanted  a  long 
story." 

"As  long  as  you  like,"  said  Frere,  "but  please  leave 
out  most  of  the  poetry ;  we  want  hard  facts  up  here  in 
the  woods." 

"Well,"  said  I,  resuming  my  story,  "our  passage  up 
the  lake  was  without  further  incident,  and  we  arrived  at 
the  mouth  of  a  beautiful  river  called  Junior  Stream  about 
noon.  After  we  had  had  our  dinner  we  left  our  luggage 


With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera.  *77 

on  the  shore  and  re-embarked  for  a  short  visit  to  a  small 
pond  called  'Little  Lake/  'Muddy  Lake,'  etc.,  in  which 
pickerel  of  large  size  were  abundant.  This  pond  is  situ- 
ated at  the  head  of  Grand  Lake,  and  is  reached  through 
a  small  stream  that  empties  into  the  latter.  The  water 
in  this  pond  is  warm,  the  bottom  being  mud  and  sand. 
The  pickerel  do  not  pass  into  Grand  Lake  in  any  num- 
bers, its  water  being  cold  and  the  bottom  being  rocky, 
and  the  shores  free  from  reeds  and  other  aquatic  herbage 
that  this  fish  loves  to  inhabit.  I  do  not  wish  to  be  un- 
derstood that  I  fished  for  the  pickerel  because  I  wanted 
them  for  food,  for  to  my  taste  pickerel  are  among  the 
most  insipid  of  fish.  But  the  sport  that  one  can  get  in 
good  pickerel  fishing  is  not  despicable,  and  I  hold  that 
it  is  doing  the  fish  posterity  a  benefit  to  destroy  as  many 
of  these  'fresh-water  sharks'  as  possible.  After  a  short 
half  hour's  paddle  up  the  lake  and  stream,  during  which 
I  shot  a  pair  of  blue -winged  teal  and  a  pair  of  black 
ducks,  we  entered  the  waters  of  the  pond.  At  a  glance 
one  could  tell  that  pickerel  were  there,  for  the  shores 
were  low  and  marshy,  and  almost  the  whole  surface  of 
the  water  was  covered  with  lily  pads  and  reeds. 

"Taking  a  short,   strong  tip    for  my   rod,   and  a  stout 

O  O  1  J 

line,  to  which  was  fastened  a  spinner,  I  threw  out,  and 
in  an  instant  was  fast  to  a  fish  that  made  the  water  fly 


178  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

like  a  river  horse  when  he  struck.  Giving  him  a  sharp 
pull  I  started  him,  and  letting  him  run  a  short  distance 
expected  he  would  play,  but  there  is  as  much  of  life  in 
a  log  as  there  is  in  a  pickerel  until  you  get  him  in  the 
boat ;  he  reserves  all  his  energies  until  it  is  too  late  to 
exercise  them,  when  the  fuss  he  kicks  up  is  terrible.  So 
with  this  fish — he  kept  quiet  in  the  water.  After  waiting 
a  reasonable  time  I  commenced  reeling  him  in.  I  got 
him  close  to  the  canoe,  and  I  can  compare  the  wretch 
to  nothing  but  a  long  black  log  or  snag.  As  soon  as 
he  got  near  the  canoe  he  perceived  his  danger  and  tried 
to  back  out,  and  readily  towed  us  a  few  yards  through 
the  lily  pads  and  reeds  before  I  got  him  in.  He  was 
a  splendid  fish  and  would  weigh  at  least  ten  pounds. 

"  Leweys  took  him  from  the  hook,  and  in  so  doing 
opened  his  jaws,  and  they  were  cavernous.  '  Jehoshaphat !' 
said  the  Indian,  a  favorite  expression  of  his  to  signify 
wonder  or  astonishment,  'what  a  mouth!  These  devils 
kill  more  young  ducks  than  a  few  in  a  summer.  How 
big  would  a  young  duck  look  in  that?'  ,said  he,  stretch- 
ing his  mouth  from  ear  to  ear.  'Ah !  you  villian,'  said 
he,  tapping  the  fish  over  the  head,  'you. would  eat  one 
of  your  young  ones  as  quick  as  anything  else.' 

"  When  I  assured  him  that  in  the  States  and  else- 
where pickerel  were  considered  a  nice  fish  on  the  table, 


With-    Fl  -Rod    and    Camera. 


he  turned  up  his  nose  in  disgust,  said  they  were  not  fit 
for  food,  for,  'they  eat  everything  —  snakes,  mice,  fish, 
everything  and  anything;  you  wouldn't  catch  an  Indian 
eating  one.' 

"Throwing  over  my  line  again  I  was  soon  fast  to 
another  monster,  and,  hauling  him  in,  caught  another  and 
another,  until  I  got  tired  of  the  sport,  for  pickerel  fish- 
ing soon  palls  on  one.  Then  I  pulled  in  my  line,  reeled 
up,  and  we  left  for  Junior  Stream. 

"  Gracious,  how  the  wind  blew  when  we  got  out  into 
the  lake  !  Every  puff  sent  the  waves  dashing  over  our 
canoe's  prow,  and  Leweys  literally  had  his  hands  full  to 
keep  his  course.  My  friends  in  old  Sepsis's  canoe  were 
hugging  the  shore,  while  we  kept  out  in  the  lake.  Poor 
'Little  Indian,'  as  we  called  Mitchell,  strained  every  nerve, 
but  could  hardly  gain  a  foot  for  a  paddle  stroke.  At 
last,  to  help  him,  in  lieu  of  a  paddle,  I  seized  a  frying 
pan  with  a  long  handle,  and  dipping  it  into  the  water, 
'hove  to'  with  a  will.  Whether  I  helped  or  not  is  doubt- 
ful, but  I  kept  our  craft  in  decent  steerage  way,  and  it 
seemed  to  me  that  we  worked  along  a  little  faster.  At 
length  we  reached  the  point  of  land  again  at  the  mouth 
of  Junior  Stream,  and,  pitching  our  tent,  we  soon  had 
everything  comfortable  for  a  night's  sleep. 

"  By  the  time  camp  was   ready,   supper  was   in  a  fair 


i8o  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

way  of  cooking,  and  the  sputter  of  frying  pork  and  fish, 
and  merry  singing  of  the  tea  kettle,  and  bubbling  of  boil- 
ing rice,  lent  their  charms  to  the  lively  scene.  In  addition 
to  these,  before  the  fire  was  baking  a  huge  Johnnycake, 
and  I  must  say  that  in  the  preparation  of  this  edible  the 
Indian  excels.  The  meal  is  made  into  a  thick  batter  with 
cold  water  and  a  little  salt — if  mixed  with  warm  water  it 
is  called  Charleycake  —  moulded  against  a  smooth"  board 
and  exposed  to  the  heat  of  the  fire. 

"As  I  watched  old  Sepsis  prepare  this  simple  bread, 
I  could  not  but  admire  the  care  and  patience  with  which 
he  cooked  it  before  a  fire  hot  enough  to  roast  an  ox. 
If  the  heat  was  too  strong  the  position  of  the  bread  was 
shifted ;  if  ashes  accumulated  under  the  board  it  was  raised 
on  a  few  pieces  of  bark  or  chips.  If  the  smoke  blew  to- 
ward it,  its  position  was  changed ;  and  when  the  upper 
surface  had  attained  the  rich  yellow-brown  that  all  good 
Johnnycake  should  have,  carefully  the  old  fellow  thrust 
his  sharp  hunting  knife  beneath  it  and  lifted  it  from  its 
simple  oven,  and  turned  it,  in  order  that  the  under  sur- 
face might  receive  its  proper  degree  of  heat.  Verily,  the 
Indian  is  the  child  of  expedients,  and  with  the  fewest  ma- 
terials can  arrive  at  the  greatest  possible  results.  All  I 
can  say  of  that  Johnnycake  is  that  it,  and  many  others, 
are  among  the  pleasant  remembrances  of  our  trip. 


1 82  With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera, 

"Supper  over,  and  after  an  hour  spent  around  the 
camp  fire  with  stories  and  Killickinnick,  we  turned  in  for 
good  night's  rest. 

"The  next  morning's  sunrise  surprised  us  beneath  our 
blankets.  Amazed  at  our  indolence  we  sprang  to  our  feet, 
and  in  a  few  moments  the  camp  fire  was  roaring  right 
merrily. 

"After  breakfast  we  quickly  struck  the  tent,  packed 
everything  snugly  in  the  canoe  and  commenced  the  ascent 
of  Junior  Stream  for  Junior  Lake  at  its  head.  Our  pas- 
sage up  the  stream  was  without  incident  of  note.  The 
river  is  a  beautiful  one,  one  of  the  most  romantic  streams 
that  I  ever  saw.  The  shores  are  mostly  covered  with 
alders  and  maples,  which  as  we  passed  them  were  just 
putting  on  their  brilliant  autumn  colors,  lending  a  warmth 
and  beauty  to  the  scene  that  was  indescribably  magnifi- 
cent. The  clear,  cold  water  passed  over  a  bottom  of  sand 
and  pebbles ;  myriads  of  fish  were  darting  about,  plainly 
visible  through  the  limpid  stream ;  chubs,  dace  and  small 
salmon  were  the  only  varieties,  and  we  looked  in  vain 
for  the  spotted  trout  which  we  had  come  here  purposely 
to  catch,  this  being  a  celebrated  locality  for  that  variety. 

"  It  was  near  sundown  when  we  reached  the  rapids 
where  the  trout  usually  are  taken  in  the  greatest  abund- 
ance ;  here  we  repeatedly  cast  every  variety  of  fly,  but 


With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera.  183 

not  a  rise  did  we  get.  After  many  persistent  efforts  we 
were  at  last  obliged  to  desist,  the  trout  being  evidently 
'off-fish/ 

"We  went  ashore  above  the  rapids,  where  we  found 
an  old  bark  camp ;  *  here  we  concluded  to  pass  the  night, 
and  soon  we  had  made  everything  comfortable.  It  was 
fortunate  that  we  took  up  our  quarters  in  this  camp,  for 
the  heavy  rain  storm  which  came  up  in  the  night  would 
have  most  thoroughly  drenched  us  if  we  had  depended 
on  our  tent. 

"  We  had  noticed  on  the  walls  of  our  bark  camp  the 
marks  of  porcupine  teeth,  and  as  we  lay  on  our  beds  of 
fragrant  hemlock  boughs,  listening  to  the  pattering  of  the 

*  A  description  of  a  bark  camp  and  the  method  of  its  construction  will,  per- 
haps, not  be  uninteresting  here.  June  is  the  best  month  for  building  such  a  camp, 
and  Indian  hunters  and  fishermen  who  design  passing  a  part  of  the  season  on  the 
lakes  contrive  to  peel  their  bark  and  build  their  camp  in  this  month.  In  peeling 
a  large  tree  the  operator  stands  on  a  log  or  other  object  sufficiently  high  to  raise 
him  from  the  ground  a  foot  or  two,  aud  with  a  sharp  axe  cuts  the  bark  through 
to  the  wood,  as  high  as  he  can  reach  ;  he  then  makes  a  similar  incision  around  the 
tree  near  the  ground,  and  then  cuts  or  splits  the  bark  down  from  one  girdle  to  the 
other.  Pushing  in  the  blade  of  the  axe  down  inside  the  perpendicular  cut,  he  pro- 
ceeds to  pry  up  the  bark  for  its  whole  length.  In  a  short  time  it  is  separated 
from  the  tree  for  half  of  its  whole  circumference,  when,  if  the  trunk  is  large,  it 
is  cut  off,  and  the  other  half  is  peeled  away  in  another-  piece.  These  strips  are 
laid  on  the  ground,  if  a  level  rock  is  not  near,  and  pressed  out  flat — the  pieces 
being  laid  across  each  other  in  alternate  layers.  In  a  few  days  they  are  dry  enough 
to  retain  their  flat  form,  when  they  are  ready  to  be  used  in  the  construction  of 
the  camp. 

This   is   begun  by  driving  into  the  earth,  at  a  distance  of  about  eight  feet  apart, 


1 84  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

rain  on  the  roof,  we  discussed  the  habits  of  the  fretful 
beast.  I  told  Sepsis  that  in  books  we  often  see  state- 
ments made  that  the  porcupine  has  the  habit  of  detach- 
ing its  quills  and  even  throwing  them  at  its  adversaries 
when  attacked.  Sol  laughed  quietly,  said  that  'book  often 
written  by  people  don't  know  what  so.'  Among  many  in- 
teresting accounts  of  the  habits  of  the  porcupine  which 
he  gave  us  was  this : 

"  'A  party  of  us,  men  and  squaws,  had  been  on  the 
mountain  yonder  a  week  or  two  sugaring.  We  had  pretty 
good  luck,  I  got  seven  hundred  pound,  my  share.  Well, 
Sol,  my  brother,  had  order  for  a  barrel  of  syrup,  which 
he  had  got  all  ready  to  take  down  to  Leweys  Island ; 
but  one  night  a  porc'pine  got  at  the  barrel,  gnawed  hole 

four  stout  stakes,  forked  at  their  ends  (if  small  trees  are  not  found  growing  suf- 
ficiently near  together  to  answer  for  corner  posts).  'I' wo  of  these  latter  are  about 
live  feet  in  height,  the  others  about  seven,  which  gives  the  proper  inclination  or 
pitch  to  the  roof.  On  the  tops  of  these  posts  are  laid  stout  poles,  which  are  kept 
in  place  by  withes,  and,  with  the  addition  of  two  or  three  posts  driven  into  the 
ground  between  the  corner  ones,  the  frame  is  ready  for  the  bark.  The  strips  are 
first  laid  on  the  back  and  two  sides  of  the  shanty,  and  are  kept  smooth  and  in 
proper  position  by  poles  laid  across  them  and  withed  down  to  the  frame.  The  front, 
facing  the  southeast,  is  almost  always  left  open,  and  if  it  is  ever  covered  it  is  only 
temporarily,  when  driving  storms  beat  into  the  camp  and  make  it  uncomfortable. 
The  pieces  of  bark  are  laid  on  the  roof  shingle-wise,  lapping  over  each  other,  the 
rough  side  out  :  these  are  kept  in  place  by  withed  poles,  and  the  camp  is  finished. 
For  a  fire  place  a  few  thin,  flat  stones,  built  box-shape,  make  a  capital  oven, 
and  with  a  rousing  fire  burning  above  it  a  capital  roast  may  be  made.  Ordinarily, 
however,  in  cooking,  a  large  fire  is  made,  and  when  a  heap  of  glowing  coals  is 
formed  the  frying  pan  or  skillet  is  called  into  requisition. 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  185 

through  it,  and  all  him  syrup  run  out  and  waste  him  on 
ground.  Ugh!  wasn't  Sol  mad  next  morning  when  he 
found  out !  Pret'  soon  he  leave  off  swearing  and  get  him 
gun.  A  little  snow,  just  enough  to  track  by,  was  on  the 
ground,  and  Sol  started  out  for  him  porc'pine.  It  was 
just  sundown  when  he  came  back  with  him  cuss  on  him 
shoulder.  He  say  not'ing,  but  take  axe  and  cut  porc'- 
pine into  bits  and  throw  on  fire.  Then  he  got  to  work 
at  sap  trough  's  if  not'ing  happen ;  but  always  now  hate 
porc'pine.' 

"'How  do  you  know  but  one  will  get  at  our  canoe?' 
I  asked.  'It  would  be  a  nice  joke  for  us  to  have  our 
birch  spoiled  away  up  here.' 

"'No  'fraid,'  he  answered;  'I  turned  it  bottom  up 
upon  an  old  stump.  No  porc'pine  will  get  at  it,  unless 
bear  knock  it  down.' 

"'Are  there  many  bears  here?'  we  inquired,  instinct- 
ively feeling  for  our  guns  . 

"'Heap,'  he  answered.  'You  no  see  old  log  front  of 
camp  ?  You  no  notice  it  had  been  torn  to  pieces  lately  ? 
Well,  that  done  to-day  sure  by  bear  after  pismires.' 

"There  was  just  enough  excitement  in  the  thought 
that  possibly  we  might  have  a  bear  fight  before  morning 
to  keep  us  awake  after  we  rolled  ourselves  in  our  blan- 
kets. But  we  heard  nothing  but  the  rushing  of  the  wa- 

o  o 


1 86  With    Fly- Rod   and    Camera. 

ter  over  the  rapids,  the  pattering  of  the  rain  on  the  roof, 
and  the  soughing  of  the  wind  through  the  trees,  and  at 
last  tired  nature  yielded  and  we  slept. 

"It  was  not  without  disappointment  that  we  awoke 
on  the  next  morning  to  find  that  the  night  had  passed 
without  incident  or  adventure.  The  sun  was  just  gilding 
the  tops  of  the  distant  mountains  and  glimmering  amid 
the  foliage  of  the  tall  hemlocks  when  we  arose  and  "began 
preparations  for  breakfast. 

"Sunrise  in  the  woods!  How  much  is  expressed  to 
the  frequenter  of  our  forests  in  those  few  words  —  how 
little  to  the  habitual  city  dweller.  The  words  bring  to 
mind  a  remembrance  of  delicious  breezes,  laden  with  the 
aroma  of  the  pine  and  hemlock ;  of  myriads  of  birds  twit- 
tering and  fluttering  among  the  foliage;  of  woodpeckers 
tapping  with  echoing  strokes  the  dead  branches  and  trunk 
of  some  old  monarch  of  the  forest ;  of  nuthatches  calling 
to  each  other  in  their  soft,  melancholy  notes ;  of  loons 
away  out  on  the  lake  answering  these  sounds  and  their 
own  cries  with  wild,  weird  screams  of  laughter.  Oh !  it 
is  glorious ! 

"At  an  early  hour  we  prepared  for  the  day's  employ- 
ment. Leweys  and  I  were  to  pass  the  portage  and  visit 
the  upper  lake  to  inspect  its  shores  for  fowl,  and  try  the 
streams  emptying  into  it  for  spotted  trout,  while  the  rest 


1 88  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

of  the  party  were  to   take   the   opposite   direction,   hunting 
the   stream  and  its   shores  for  fish   and  game. 

"Accordingly  the  young  Indian  shouldered  his  birch, 
and  I  with  gun  in  hand  preceded  him  in  a  slightly  beaten 
path  which  ran  parallel  with  the  stream.  Of  partridges, 
or  more  properly  ruffed  grouse,  I  met  with  great  num- 
bers, but  they  were  so  tame  that  it  was  impossible  to 
flush  them,  as  they  would  walk  off  into  the  undergrowth 
as  leisurely  as  so  many  domestic  fowls.  I  only  killed  four, 
which  I  got  in  two  double  shots.  The  birds  were  of  the 
season's  hatch,  but  fully  grown,  and  plump  to  the  tra- 
ditional degree.  I  saw  one  or  two  tracks  of  moose  and 
a  number  of  impressions  of  deer's  feet,  but  the  foliage 
was  still  too  thick  to  offer  any  chance  of  success  in  stalk- 
ing. Bear  tracks  and  signs  were  also  numerous,  and  I 
was  constantly  on  the  qui  vive  to  meet  one.  In  one  in- 
stance a  bear  had  evidently  just  pulled  down  a  bush  of 
the  chokeberry  and  eaten  the  fruit,  for  the  dew  had  cer- 
tainly within  a  few  minutes  been  shaken  from  the  leaves ; 
but  he  either  heard  my  approach  or  had  taken  fright  at 
some  other  noise,  for  I  did  not  see  him.  In  fact,  the 
black  bear  is  generally  less  willing  to  meet  man  face  to 
face  than  is  the  man  to  meet  him.  If  a  she  bear  has 
cubs  she  will  defend  them  most  bravely,  but  generally  the 
brutes  are  glad  to  get  off. 


With    Fl-  Rod    and    Camera. 


"Arriving-  at  the  head  of  the  carry,  Leweys  in  a  short 
time  joined  me,  and  embarking  in  his  canoe  we  were  soon 
paddling  out  into  the  lake.  A  beautiful  sheet  of  water 
is  Junior  Lake,  with  picturesque  surroundings  of  the  high- 
est degree. 

"Getting  my  tackle  ready  I  stood  up  in  the  canoe 
and  began  casting  in  every  promising  place  that  I  saw, 
Leweys  paddling  slowly  so  that  I  could  cover  the  water. 

"  Soon  I  got  a  rise,  and  in  a  few  minutes  a  splendid 
fish  was  floundering  in  the  birch  ;  soon  another  and  then 
another  was  landed  and  I  reeled  in  my  line  ;  for  I  hold 
it  a  sin  to  kill  more  than  can  be  used  in  keeping  the 
camp  supplied  with  food.  Leweys  told  me  of  a  party  of 
fishermen  (one  of  them  a  clergyman)  who  fished  for  sev- 
eral days  at  Grand  Lake  Stream,  and,  after  catching  hun- 
dreds of  them,  simply  weighed  and  threw  them  away.  * 

"What  wretches!  who  for  the  sake  of.  vain  boasts  of 
killing  so  many  pounds  of  fish  in  so  many  days'  fishing, 
would  sacrifice  such  a  great  number  of  valuable  lives,  for, 
although  the  fish  were  abundant,  how  long  could  any 
waters  stand  such  extravagance? 

"The    forenoon    passed    quickly.       We    coasted    along 

*  In  corroboration  of  his  statement  I  find  in  a  report  of  the  Maine  Commis- 
sioners of  Fisheries  the  following-  :  "A  party  of  three  who  were  just  leaving  (Grand 
Lake  Stream,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  'lam]  had  been  there  two  weeks,  and  their 
total  catch  was  six  hundred  and  twenty-one  salmon,  eighteen  togue  and  eleven  trout." 


J90  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

the  shore  of  the  lake  and  inspected  the  various  inlets 
and  streams,  but  did  not  meet  with  any  ducks  but  shel- 
drakes. 

"As  we  were  crossing  from  one  point  to  another  in 
the  lake  we  noticed  a  number  of  old  and  young  loons, 
or  great  northern  divers,  as  they  are  called.  Such  a 
laughing  as  they  commenced,  and  such  diving  and  splash- 
ing were  never  before  witnessed. 

"The  Indian  asked  for  my  white  pocket  handkerchief, 
which  he  began  waving  over  his  head,  and  imitating  at 
the  same  time  the  cries  of  the  loons.  One  of  the  young 
birds  left  the  group  and  began  to  swim  toward  us.  Lew- 
eys  turned  the  prow  of  the  canoe  toward  them ;  the  bird 
had  actually  got  almost  within  shot  of  us,  when  its  mother, 
perceiving  its  danger,  swam  hastily  after  it  and  intruded 
her  own  body  between  us  and  her  young  one,  and  drove 
it  back  to  the  group  of  other  loons.  Such  an  instance 
of  parental  affection  was  not  lost  upon  us,  and  as  the 
loons  swam  off  laughing  and  screaming,  we  moved  on  in 
our  course,  regarding  them  with  admiration  and  respect. 

"As  we  were  moving  along  slowly,  the  Indian's  quick 
eye  descried  a  small  object  swimming  rapidly  toward  the 
shore.  Calling  my  attention  to  it  he  began  paddling  with 
great  energy,  declaring  that  the  moving  object  was  a  mink 
that  had  been  out  fishing.  On  reaching  gunshot  I  fired 


With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera.  r9r 

and  killed  the  animal.  We  found  on  taking  him  into  the 
canoe  that  he  had  a  small  salmon  in  his  mouth,  which  he 
had  dived  for  and  caught  in  the  deep  lake. 

"  Leweys  asked  if  I  wanted  the  skin.  I  replied  in 
the  negative,  when  he  said  he  would  keep  it  for  a  coat 
collar.  I  suspect  that  he  intended  to  put  it  into  his  lot 
destined  for  market,  for  mink  skins  were  then  worth  from 
five  to  seven  dollars  each ;  and  as  this  was  a  good  one, 
having  but  one  small  shot  hole  in  the  head,  it  could  easily 
be  worked  in. 

"The  afternoon  passed  without  any  other  incident  of 
importance,  but  most  quickly,  and  the  shades  of  approach- 
ing nightfall  warned  us  that  it  was  time  for  our  return 
to  camp.  A  half  hour's  lusty  paddling  brought  us  to  the 
carry,  and  soon  we  were  in  sight  of  the  smoking  camp 
fire.  Our  companions  had  passed  as  glorious  a  day  as 
we,  and  the  pile  of  game  and  fish  which  we  had  in  the 
aggregate  was  far  from  despicable. 

"As  we  had  decided  to  move  on  the  next  morning 
to  another  locality  named  Compass  Lake,  another  tribu- 
tary of  the  Grand  Lake,  we  turned  in  at  an  early  hour, 
and  soon  the  drowsy  god  had  assumed  complete  control 
of  our  senses. 

"The  next  morning's  sunrise  witnessed  our  departure. 
We  moved  rapidly  with  the  current  down  Junior  Stream 


192  With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera. 

and  glided  out  into  the  waters  of  Grand  Lake.  We  kept 
a  straight  course  for  our  destination,  and  before  noon  we 
reached  our  landing  place,  pitched  our  tent,  and  were  at 
once  at  home  in  this  our  permanent  camp. 

"  My  story  would  do  injustice  to  all  the  pleasures  we 
experienced  at  this  place,  if  I  attempted  to  describe  them. 
The  weather  was  delightful,  the  winds  always  favorable, 
and  game  and  fish  were  abundant.  We  named  the  camp 
'Camp  Big  Injun,'  in  honor  of  old  Sepsis,  and  the  com- 
pliment pleased  him  very  much,  as  was  evinced  by  the 
efforts  he  made  to  make  it  the  pleasantest  of  our  camp- 
ing places.  All  our  enjoyment  was  not  confined  to  the 
clay's  adventures,  but  at  night,  as  we  grouped  around  the 
camp  fire  or  lounged  comfortably  on  the  hemlock  boughs, 
many  happy  hours  were  passed  in  listening  to  the  nar- 
ration of  thrilling  hunting  and  fishing  adventures  of  our 
guides,  or  similar  ones  by  the  other  members  of  our  party. 

"  Our  -outing  at  last  approached  its  limit,  and  the  time 
for  our  return  home  was  fixed.  The  morning  when  we 
were  to  start  had  arrived,  and  sorrowfully  we  broke  camp, 
packed  our  luggage  and  embarked.  We  all  felt  that  re- 
gret which  always  arises  at  parting  from  pleasant  scenes, 
and  this  camp  was  by  far  the  pleasantest  that  we  had 
had  on  the  lakes. 

"It   was   placed   on   a   bluff   of   perhaps   twenty  feet   in 


With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera.  !93 

height  above  the  lake ;  behind  it  was  a  thick  growth  of 
firs  and  hemlocks;  around  it  was  a  large  patch  of  blue- 
berry and  whortleberry  bushes,  the  fruit  of  which  was  then 
in  season,  and  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff  the  ripples  and 
waves  were  whispering  and  singing  among  the  pebbles 
in  their  own  sweet  tones  all  through  the  day  and  night. 
Can  you  wonder  that  we  left  it  unwillingly? 

"On  our  passage  down  the  lake  my  friends  went  with 
Leweys,  while  I  for  a  change  had  old  Sepsis.  It  was 
only  then  that  I  began  to  find  out  all  the  old  fellow's 
good  qualities,  and  I  must  say  that  of  all  my  experience 
with  guides,  that  of  old  Pete  Sepsis  is  one  of  the  most 
pleasant  to  remember.  Patient,  careful  for  our  comfort, 
earnest  in  his  efforts  to  please  us,  always  busy  for  our 
well-being,  Sepsis  was  a  gem.  During  our  passage  I  had 
many  talks  with  him.  From  one  subject  to  another  we 
touched  on  religion  and  the  origin  of  the  Indian  race. 
Of  the  latter  he  repeated  to  me  the  following  interest- 
ing tradition  : 

"  '  Many  years  ago  seven  men  and  seven  squaws  were 
made,  which  were  scattered  over  the  world.  One  of  these 
men  was  a  great  hunter ;  he  killed  much  game,  and  was 
always  roaming  about,  and  was  never  quiet  at  one  place. 
When  he  met  the  other  men  and  their  squaws  he  had 
nothing  to  do  with  them,  for  he  cared  for  nothing  but 


194  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

hunting  and  fishing,  and,  you  know,  game  is  not  plenty 
where  much  men  be  together.  You  hear  little  white  man?' 
said  he,  illustratingly,  referring  to  one  of  our  party  who 
was  thus  designated  by  the  Indians,  and  who  was  talking 
with  his  companions  in  the  other  canoe,  a  good  half  mile 
off,  yet  whose  voice  was  plainly  audible.  'Well,  he  much 
talk,  always  talk,  and  game  no  like  much  talk ;  we  no 
get  much  duck  if  we  talk  like  little  white  man.  So  the 
hunter  long  ago  no  have  anything  to  do  with  the  other 
man,  but  wandered  away  for  many  miles  through  many 
countries,  until  at  last  he  came  to  the  big  water.  Then 
he  went  to  work  and  built  him  a  canoe  [pronounced  by 
all  Indians  c'noe],  and  he  and  his  squaw  went  out  on  the 
water,  which  he  found  much  bigger  than  any  they  had 
ever  seen,  and  there  were  a  heap  of  ducks  and  porpoise 
and  seals.' 

"'Well,  they  had  a  big  hunt  and  killed  much  game 
and  caught  much  fish.  Many  days  they  did  this,  until 
bimeby  a  big  storm  came  up,  and  it  blowed  so  that  the 
canoe  was  driven  off  out  of  sight  of  land. 

"'Well,  they  gave  up  trying  to  get  back  to  land, 
and  floated  before  the  wind  many  days,  living  on  raw  fish 
and  a  little  game  that  they  had  in  the  canoe.  No  other 
boat  could  have  passed  through  such  a  storm,  but  the 
canoe  hardly  got  wet,  and  that  same  pattern  of  boat  has 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  195 

been  made  ever  since  by  all  the  Indians,  and  no  other 
people  can  make  a  canoe. 

"'So,  after  many  days  the  canoe  came  in  sight  of  a 
new  land,  and  in  a  little  while  it  ran  into  a  smooth  cove, 
the  man  and  his  squaw  landed,  and  from  them  came  the 
Indians  of  this  country.' 

"With  such  chats  as  these  our  time  passed,  and  we 
reached  the  dam  before  I  was  aware  that  half  the  distance 
had  been  traversed. 

"  Pitching  our  tent,  we  soon  had  everything  fixed  com- 
fortably, and  in  a  little  while  were  busy  among  the  sal- 
mon— and  what  glorious  sport  we  had !  It  seemed  as  if 
the  fish  were  running  in  by  thousands,  and  we  had,  in  a 
brief  space,  more  than  we  could  possibly  transport.  They 
were  not  wasted,  however,  for  the  Indians  always  salt  and 
barrel  for  winter  use  the  salmon  taken  in  the  autumn  fish- 
ing. 

"We  remained  at  the  place  during  the  next  day,  and 
on  the  following  we  started  down  the  portage  for  home." 

When  my  story  was  ended  I  found  that  it  was  past 
ten  o'clock,  a  very  dissipated  hour  for  the  backwoods. 

"Come,  Frere,"  I  exclaimed,  "we  had  better  turn  in 
or  we  shall  be  late  risers  to-morrow,"  and  I  entered  the 
tent  and  prepared  my  bed  for  the  night. 

"Yes,"  responded  Frere,  "your  land-locks  have  proved 


196  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

such  an  interesting  topic  that  the  time  has  gone  by  very 
rapidly.  We  must  give  them  a  trial  some  day,"  he  added, 
as  he  entered  the  tent  and  drew  his  blanket  over  him ; 
"there  must  be  some  left  yet." 

"Oh,  yes,"  I  answered,  "there  are  a  good  many  left 
at  the  Schoodics,  and  they-  are  abundant  now  in  many  of 
the  other  Maine  lakes.  In  the  Rangeleys  great  numbers 
are  found,  and  they  are  taken  there  of  very  good  size." 


CHAPTER    ITT. 


A  BRIGHT  MORNING.  •  NOTIONS  ABOUT  FLIES.  •  A  XUISANCE  OK  SEA  TROUT. 
ANOTHER  SALMON  HOOKED.  •  STLENDID  PLAY.  ••  DISMAY.  •  "CONFOUND 
THE  DRIFT  WOOD!"  •  PHILOSOPHERS.  KILLING  THE  FISH  NOT  ALL  THERE 
is  OF  FISHING.  •  KINGFISHERS  AND  SHELDRAKES  AS  PESTS  ON  A  SALMON  OR 
TROUT  RIVER.  •  IT'S  A  WONDER  WE  HAVE  ANY  SALMON  LEFT.  •  A  SAL- 
MON THAT  HAS  LONG  BEEN  IN  THE  RlYER  IS  SlIY  OF  THE  FLY.  •  TlIE 

PHANTOM  MINNOW  USED  IN  TROLLING  FOR  SALMON.  •  A  STRANGE  LOT  OF 
FISH.  •  AGGRAVATING  SALMON.  •  EXCITING  TIMES.  •  WORMS  AS  BAIT 
FOR  SALMON.  A  STRONG  FISH,  AND  A  CONTEST  LONG  TO  UK  REMEMBERED. 

A  BAD  MESS.  •  RETRIBUTION.  •  RISING  TO  THE  FLY  IN  STILL  WATER. 
AN  EXCITING  STRUGGLE.  •  VICTORY.  •  FISH  IN  ABUNDANCE.  •  OUR  PER- 
MANENT CAMI-.  SUCH  LUCK  AS  AN  AMATEUR  SOMETIMES  HAS.  •  SALMON 
THAT  PLAYED  ME.  •  FISHERMAN'S  LUCK. 


I  ^HE    morning'   of    the    following-    day   was    bright    and 
almost   cloudless,   a   few   patches    only    of   gold    and 
vermilion    flecking    the   sky,    as   they    slowly    drifted    before 
the    balmy    southwest    breeze. 

The  sun,  although  above  the  eastern  horizon,  as  in- 
dicated by  the  golden  pencilings  on  the  hilltops  around 
us,  was  not  yet  visible  to  us  as  we  stepped  out  from  the 
shelter  of  our  tent. 


198  With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera. 

Arousing  the  guides  who  were  still  sound  asleep,  we 
took  our  rods  and  prepared  for  a  contest  with  the  lordly 
fish  that  we  knew  must  be  lying  in  the  river  before  us. 
The  pool  was  one  to  delight  the  heart  of  any  fisherman. 
A  ledge  and  several  large  rocks  at  the  head  and  on  the 
western  shore  afforded  admirable  casting  stands,  and  the 
beach  on  the  eastern  shore  also  gave  abundance  of  room 
for  one  to  get  out  a  long  line  over  the  best  water  in 
the  pool. 

Frere  chose  the  ledge  on  the  western  shore,  near  the 
head,  while  I  took  the  beach  on  the  other  side.  His  fly 
was  a  handsome  Jock  Scott,  and  mine  a  "Tomah  Joe," 
that  fly  with  white  body,  yellow  hackle,  and  wings  made 
of  the  barred  black  and  white  feathers  of  the  wood  or 
summer  duck,  that  is  so  killing  with  the  land-locks,  and 
I  will  say  the  common  salmon  also,  for  I  have  first  and 
last  killed  in  different  waters  quite  a  number  with  it,  al- 
though in  every  case  I  was  told  by  my  guide  that  it  was 
"no  good  for  salmon."  I  remember  of  an  instance  even 
of  a  guide  offering  to  wager  his  day's  pay  that  "that  fly" 
would  not  rise  a  salmon  anywhere,  yet  inside  of  ten  min- 
utes I  had  one  hooked  and  saved  with  it. 

Mine  was  a  much  lighter  fly  than  Frere's,  but  I  chose 
it  because  my  casting  would  be  entirely  in  the  shade  of 
the  forest  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  while  his  would 


2oo  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

be  on  the  much  lighter  west  side,  beyond  the  shadows 
of  the  trees. 

In  a  bend  of  the  pool,  and  near  the  foot,  though 
beyond  my  reach,  was  a  mass  of  old  logs  and  broken 
trees  which  had  drifted  in  there  and  had  anchored  to  the 
side  and  bottom  of  the  pool.  I  had  noticed  it  on  the 
preceding  evening  and  meant  to  have  made  an  effort  to 
clear  it  away,  for  it  would  be  a  nasty  place  for  a  salmon 
to  run  into ;  but  I  forgot  to  attend  to  it,  and  never 
thought  of  the  mass  again  until  I  began  casting.  The 
attempt,  however,  would  have  been  futile,  as  we  after- 
ward found,  for  the  tangled  stuff,  tree  limbs,  old  stumps 
and  roots  anchored  in  ten  feet  of  water,  would  have  been 
beyond  our  combined  strength ;  an  ox  team  with  heavy 
chains  would  have  been  needed  to  remove  it. 

Frere  began  casting  in  the  foam  and  boil  below  the 
rapids,  and,  covering  the  water  thoroughly  in  his  usual 
sportsmanlike  manner,  had  his  fly  in  a  short  time  in  the 
choicest  part  of  the  middle  water.  My  casting  was  done 
near  the  foot  of  the  pool  where  the  sea  trout  in  numbers 
sprung  for  my  fly  at  every  cast,  and  insisted  upon  hook- 
ing themselves,  notwithstanding  my  efforts  to  shake  them 
off;  this  stirred  the  water  fearfully,  and  soon  rendered 
my  chance  for  a  salmon  extremely  problematical.  I  gave 
it  up  after  taking  off  my  sixth  trout,  and,  standing  my 


With    Fly- Rod   and    Camera.  201 

rod  against  an  old  stub,  I  lighted  a  cigar  as  a  shield 
against  the  flies,  and  watched  my  friend  as  he  put  his 
fly  out  here  and  there  in  the  neatest  possible  manner. 

At  length,  as  his  winged  lure  dropped  like  a  thistle- 
down above  the  sunken  boulders  in  mid -stream,  and  be- 
gan to  move  tremulously  with  a  series  of  short  jerks 
across  the  water,  a  swirl  was  seen,  a  faint  splash,  and 
then  the  scream  of  the  reel  gave  token  that  a  salmon 
was  hooked. 

Ah !  what  a  splendid  fish  he  was,  as  his  silvery  form, 
dripping  with  the  crystal  fluid,  leaped  into  the  air,  and 
then,  with  a  mighty  splash,  fell  back  into  the  river  again. 
A  dart  across  the  pool  and  then  another  wild  leap,  and 
yet  another,  and  then  the  fish  sank  to  the  bottom  as 
motionless  as  a  stone. 

Frere  reeled  in  all  the  line  he  could,  and  then,  put- 
ting on  such  a  strain  as  caused  his  heavy  rod  to  bend 
in  a  half  circle,  he  essayed  to  move  the  fish  from  its 
resting  place.  Our  guides,  who  had  been  busy  at  their 
camp  in  preparing  breakfast,  now  appeared  on  the  rocks. 
Hiram,  who  had  the  gaff,  stepped  up  to  the  side  of 
Frere,  where,  although  I  could  not  hear  his  voice  above 
the  roar  of  the  water  in  the  falls,  I  could  plainly  see  by 
his  gestures  that  he  was  advising  my  friend  as  to  the  best 
way  to  handle  the  fish. 


2O2  WitJi    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

Frere,  notwithstanding  he  made  numerous  efforts  to 
move  the  salmon,  was  at  last  obliged  to  await  his  pleas- 
ure. Occasionally  a  tremor  of  the  line  above  the  water 
indicated  that  the  fish  was  endeavoring  to  spring  out  the 
hook,  but  he  remained  in  one  position  still,  and  it  was 
only  when  I  seized  a  small  stone  and  threw  it  into  the 
water  that  he  stirred  from  his  lurking  place. 

As  the  stone  splashed  above  him  he  gave  a  fierce 
run  clown  the  pool,  taking  out  the  line  in  the  wildest 
manner,  then  up  again  into  the  rapids  he  darted  before 
Frere  could  employ  the  reel  in  taking  up  the  slack ;  then 
with  three  wild  leaps  in  quick  succession  he  returned  to 
the  center  of  the  pool  and  regained  his  first  resting  place. 

All  this  was  done  with  the  rapidity  of  thought,  and 
it  required  the  utmost  exertions  of  Frere  to  pack  the  line 
on  the  reel  again  so  as  to  be  prepared  for  the  next  move 
of  the  fish,  which  was  sure  to  come  soon. 

Hardly  had  the  strain  of  the  rod  been  put  upon  the 
salmon  again,  when  with  a  fierce  rush  he  threw  himself 
in  the  air,  then  with  the  speed  of  an  arrow  as  soon  as 
he  struck  the  water  he  darted  down  the  stream  into  the 
rapids,  paused  there  a  second  and  then  dashed  back  into 
the  pool  again,  circled  twice,  and  then,  to  our  utter  dis- 
gust and  dismay,  he  buried  himself  in  the  mass  of  drift 
stuff  in  the  bend  of  the  pool. 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  203 

"Confound  the  luck,"  shouted  Hiram,  his  voice  sound- 
ing high  above  the  roar  of  the  water. 

"Is  he  off,  sure?"  I  asked  as  I  approached  Frere 
and  stood  at  his  side  on  the  rock.  "You  are  fast  to 
something  still,"  I  added,  for  his  rod  was  curved  still 
with  the  strain. 

"I  cannot  feel  him,"  Frere  replied,  "and  I  think  he 
has  entangled  the  line  in  the  roots  and  escaped." 

His  conjecture  proved  to  be  correct,  for  the  guides 
on  going  down  over  it  in  the  canoe,  found  that  the  cast- 
ing line  was  badly  wound  up  in  the  drift  wood,  and  the 
fly  and  fish  both  gone. 

"It's  provoking,  Frere,"  I  exclaimed.  "We  are  hav- 
ing hard  luck;  confound  that  old  pile  of  roots!" 

"Yes,  it  is  rather  disappointing,"  replied  my  friend, 
reeling  in  his  line  that  now  had  been  released  by  the 
guides,  "to  lose  a  fish  after  playing  him  so  long  as  I  did 
that  one,  but  there'll  be  one  more  left  for  a  breeder." 

"Yes,  old  chap,"  I  answered,  "there  is  nothing  like 
looking  at  these  things  philosophically.  I  used  to  go 
shooting  a  good  deal  with  a  friend  who  always  said  at 
the  close  of  a  day's  sport,  no  matter  whether  he  had 
good  or  poor  success,  '  Well,  we  had  the  air  and  exercise, 
and  that  is  something  to  congratulate  ourselves  upon.' ' 

"He  was  right,"  responded   Frere,    "killing  the  fish  is 


204  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

not  all  there  is  of  fishing,  and  if  I  lost  nineteen  out  of 
twenty  I  should  still  enjoy  the  outing." 

"Same  here,"  I  replied,  "but  we  may  as  well  eat 
our  breakfast,  and  rest  the  pool  for  a  while." 

"True,"  said  Frere ;  "that  was  a  lively  fish,  and  he 
stirred  things  up  pretty  well." 

"Yes,"  I  responded,  "you  had  your  hands  full.  I'm 
sorry  he's  lost,  for  he  was  a  nice  one,  but  you  "  know 
'there  are  as  nice  fish  in  the  sea  as  was  ever  taken,' 
hey?" 

"Yes,"  he  replied,  following  me  to  the  tent,  "and 
'there's  no  use  crying  over  spilt  milk.'  There,  I've  match- 
ed your  adage,  and  I  will  finish  by  saying  we'll  pick  our 
(lints  and  try  again." 

"We  will  so,"  I  said,  "and  now,  Hiram,  bring  on 
your  breakfast,  I'm  as  ravenous  as  a  wolf." 

A  bountiful  meal  it  was  that  the  guides  spread  out 
before  us,  and  full  justice  was  done  to  it  by  all  of  us. 

Breakfast  was  followed  by  the  inevitable  smoke,  of 
course,  and  for  an  hour  we  left  the  pool  "to  its  own 
reflections,"  as  I  told  Frere.  Our  tent  was  pitched  in 
the  middle  of  a  little  clearing  about  three  rods  from  the 
shore ;  here  many  a  fisherman,  hunter  and  riverman  had 
camped  before  us,  and  numerous  tokens  of  them  were 
scattered  about  in  the  shape  of  cans,  bottles,  boxes,  etc. 


With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera.  2O5 

A  number  of  wild  raspberry  bushes  that  had  grown 
up  were  bending-  with  their  ruddy  loads  of  ripened  fruit. 
A  cock  partridge  was  drumming  on  a  log  in  the  woods 
near  by ;  fluttering  in  the  trees  and  shrubs  about  us  were 
numbers  of  flycatchers  and  warblers,  and  in  the  thicket 
behind  the  tent  a  thrush  was  pouring  out  his  beautiful 
flute-like  song. 

A  number  of  red  squirrels,  those  chattering,  lively 
denizens  of  the  northern  woods,  darted  about  us,  coming 
almost  to  our  feet  to  pick  up  the  crumbs  of  biscuit  that 
we  tossed  to  them.  What  graceful  little  animals  they 
are  ;  and  how  quickly  they  learn  who  is  their  friend  and 
who  their  foe.  The  rattle  of  the  kingfisher  ever  and 
anon  came  to  us  from  the  river,  as  the  bird  sped  up 
and  down  over  the  water  in  search  of  his  finny  prey. 

"Frere,"  I  exclaimed,  as  Alcyons  harsh  tones  came 
echoing  back  to  us,  "did  you  ever  realize  what  a  de- 
structive pest  on  a  salmon  stream  that  bird  is?" 

"What  bird?"  asked  my  friend,  who  had  been  lying 
on  his  back  and  gazing  up  into  the  blue  heavens  above. 

"That  chap  out  there  rattling  to  us,"  replied  Wil- 
liam. 

"Yes,"  said  Frere,  "I  have  fully  realized  it,  and  I 
wish  that  every  one  else  would,  too." 

"They    must,"    I    exclaimed,    "and    measures    must    be 


2o6  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

taken  to  reduce  their  numbers  very  considerably,  or  the 
streams  will  be  ruined.  It  seems  to  me  there  are  a 
dozen  now  where  there  used  to  be  but  one,  and  they 
destroy  in  the  aggregate  a  vast  number  of  young  salmon 
and  trout." 

"You're  right,  Doctor,"  said  Hiram,  "and  the  shel- 
drakes are  worse  even  than  the  kingfishers." 

"Yes,"  I  answered,  "a  flock  of  sheldrakes  on  a"  river 
will  in  a  season  destroy  almost  all  the  fry ;  more,  vastly 
more,  fish  are  killed  by  these  pests  than  all  the  fisher- 
men, netters  and  poachers  take  out,  and  it  seems  to  be 
almost  folly  for  the  Government  authorities,  here  and  in 
the  States,  to  put  into  the  rivers  millions  of  fry  of  trout, 
salmon,  etc.,  when  these  birds  are  permitted  to  prey  upon 
them.  The  time  must  come  when  a  heavy  bounty  will 
be  offered  for  the  destruction  of  kingfishers,  sheldrakes 
and  other  fishing  ducks  on  the  rivers  and  other  fresh 
waters." 

"Yes,"  exclaimed  William,  "the  sheldrakes  are  the 
worst  enemies  the  young  salmon  have,  and  I  kill  them 
every  chance  I  get.  I  once  opened  a  half-grown  shel- 
drake and  found  seventeen  salmon  fry  in  its  stomach." 

"Gracious,"  exclaimed  Frere,  "if  there  was  a  flock 
of  them  they  must  have  made  sad  havoc." 

"There  were  ten,  counting  the  old  ones,"  said  Hiram. 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  207 

"Ten,"  said  Frere ;  "in  that  case,  if  they  were  all  as 
full  as  the  one  examined,  there  were  one  hundred  and 
seventy  young  salmon  eaten  at  one  gulp." 

"Yes,"  I  exclaimed,  "and  they  can  average  six  meals 
a  day  at  least ;  six  times  one  hundred  and  seventy  is 
over  one  thousand  fry  a  day  by  a  single  flock ;  and  this 
is  kept  up  all  summer  long.  It  is  folly  to  attempt  to 
stock  rivers  while  these  destroyers  are  around,  and  a 
waste  of  labor  and  money.  I  have  advised  and  do  ad- 
vise every  one  who  is  interested  in  fishing  to  do  all  they 
can  in  the  way  of  removing  these  pests  by  giving  re- 
wards and  bounties  for  their  heads.  Something  must  be 
done  very  soon,  even  if  we  have  to  invoke  legislative  ac- 
tion." 

"  It's  sometimes  a  wonder  to  me,  altogether,"  said 
Hiram,  "how  it  is  that  any  salmon  are  left;  they  have 
an  enemy  after  them  all  the  time  from  the  day  they 
are  hatched  until  they  grow  up." 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "and  even  before  they  are  hatched, 
see  how  many  pests  are  after  the  spawn ;  eels,  suckers, 
frogs,  fish  of  various  kinds,  insects,  all  will  eat  the  spawn. 
I  have  been  told  by  guides  and  others  who  have  seen 
the  act  repeatedly,  that  trout  will  dart  in  and  seize  the 
egg  as  it  comes  from  the  female,  and  even  tear  it  out 
of  the  orifice." 


208  With    Fly-Rod    arid    Camera. 

"Yes,  it's  a  wonder  we  have  any  salmon  left  at  all, 
at  all,"  said  Hiram. 

"It's  well  for  the  continuance  of  the  species  that 
they  don't  all  come  to  the  fly,"  said  Frere,  after  a  pause ; 
"if  they  did  they  would  soon  be  exterminated." 

"Yes,  Mr.  Frere,"  exclaimed  William,  "that  is  true, 
for  fly-fishermen  are  increasing  faster  than  the  fish." 

"It  always  seemed  strange  to  me,"  said  I,  "that 
while  the  fresh-run  fish  will  take  the  fly  sometimes  at 
the  first  cast  that  comes  to  him,  the  fish  that  has  been 
in  the  river  a  while  will  pay  no  more  attention  to  it  than 
to  a  stick.  I  have  noticed  it  in  many  different  rivers." 

"Yes,  it's  hard  to  rise  a  fish  that  has  been  in  the 
river  long,"  said  Frere. 

"Unless  just  after  a  storm  and  a  rise  in  the  water," 
added  Hiram. 

"Yes,"  said  I,  "they  will  sometimes  'lift'  in  such  a 
case,  but  they  are  hard  to  move.  Many  and  many  is 
the  hour  I've  cast  over  dozens  of  salmon  in  the  pools, 
and  had  to  leave  them  finally  in  disgust.  It  seems  to 
me  that  it  is  because  they  have  become  acquainted  with 
the  feathered  lures,  for  often  an  entirely  new  fly  —  as  you 
said,  Frere,  when  we  were  discussing  the  vagaries  of 

these    fish  —  will     attract    their    attention;     but    they    will 

* « 
sometimes   come   to    the    bait." 


210  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

"The    bait?"    exclaimed    Frere. 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "I  have  heard  of  several  instances 
of  their  taking  the  phantom  minnow  on  this  side  of  the 
ocean,  and  it  is  common  practice  to  troll  for  them  in 
Scotland  with  that  lure." 

"Yes,"  said  Frere,  "W.  H.  Black  in  his  great  novel 
'White  Heather,'  gives  a  number  of  exciting  descriptions 
of  such  fishing." 

"I  remember,"  I  replied,  "and  you  will  find  in  Sir 
Francis  Francis's  book  on  fishing  and  in  other  English 

,  o  o 

works,  frequent  mention  of  trolling  for  the  salmon.  I 
have  heard  of  an  instance  of  one  taking  the  spoon." 

"Impossible!"     exclaimed    Frere. 

"Not  so,"  I  replied;  "one  of  my  friends,  whose  ver- 
acity I  can  absolutely  rely  on,  tells  me  that  while  fishing 
in  the  Margaree  River,  in  Cape  Breton,  he  tried  day  after 
day  to  rise  one  of  the  salmon  which  were  lying  in  a  pool, 
but  they  paid  no  attention  whatever  to  the  fly.  Finally, 
as  an  experiment,  he  cast  a  trolling  spoon  among  them, 
and  it  was  seized  in  an  instant." 

"Strange!"    exclaimed    Frere. 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "but  stranger  still  is  the  fact  that 
salmon  will  take  a  bait  composed  of  a  bunch  of  worms." 

"Worms!"    exclaimed   my  listeners. 

"Yes,   worms,"    I    answered;   "the   Nova  Scotia  guides 


With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera.  2  r  i 

tell  me  that  such  is  the  fact ;  I  have  tried  almost  every- 
thing, however,  but  have  never  moved  a  salmon  except 
with  a  fly."* 

"Ah,  Doctor,"  exclaimed  Frere,  "it  is  a  damaging 
admission  for  you  to  make  that  you  have  tried  every- 
thing on  salmon." 

"Yes,"  I  answered,  "but  it  is  true,  and  I  will  tell 
you  all  about  it.  I  was  fishing  the  Indian  River,  that 
beautiful  stream  which  contains  more  first-class  pools  to 
the  mile  than  any  other  river  that  I  am  acquainted  with, 
but  which  is  now  about  ruined  as  a  salmon  stream  by 
the  enormous  saw  mill  at  its  mouth. 

"I  had  fished  every  pool  for  several  days  with  the 
utmost  care  and  industry,  but  not  a  salmon  could  I  rise. 
At  length  I  gave  it  up. 

*  In  Chambers's  Encyclopaedia  the  following  appears:  "The  array  of  teeth  in- 
dicates voracity,  and  the  salmon  seems  to  prey  readily  on  almost  any  animal  which 
it  is  capable  of  capturing,  though  it  is  a  somewhat  singular  fact  that  the  stomach 
when  opened  is  rarely  found  to  contain  the  remains  of  food  of  any  kind;  two  or  three 
herrings  of  full  size  have,  however,  been  found  in  its  stomach,  the  sand  launce  and 
other  small  fishes  seem  to  constitute  part  of  its  food,  and  when  in  fresh  water,  the 
minnow,  trout  fry,  or  the  fry  of  its  own  species,  worms,  flies,  etc.  The  angler  catches 
the  salmon  with  the  artificial  fly,  or  with  the  minnow  or  the  worm  [Italics  mine. — E. 
A.  S.],  and  no  bait  is  more  deadly  than  the  roe  of  the  salmon  itself." 

In  addition  to  the  above  I  will  quote  from  the  "  Compleat  Angler"  the  following: 
"The  young  of  both  grayling  and  trout  suffer  greatly  from  the  presence  of  salmon  in 
the  tributaries  of  our  rivers,  the  former  particularly  are  sought  after  and  taken  by  them." 

In  an  examination  of  a  large  number  of  salmon  caught  in  the  Penobscot  River 
weirs,  and  opened  in  the  Boston  markets,  I  found  the  bodies  of  smelt,  sand  eels  and 
capelin,  but  no  other  food. — E.  A.  S. 


212  With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera. 

'•'Well,  Tom,'  said  I  to  my  guide,  sturdy  old  Tom 
Mason,  'this  is  pretty  dull  music;  where  are  all  the  fish?' 

"'I  give  it  up,'  he  answered,  'they  were  running  in 
plenty  after  the  rain,  but  for  the  life  of  me  I  can't  tell 
what  the  trouble  is,  unless  they  have  gone  up  to  the 
headwaters  of  the  river.' 

'''Headwaters,'    said    I,    'and    how   far    may   they   be?' 

"  '  Oh,  the  lake  at  the  head  of  the  river  is  as  far 
up  as  they  can  get,'  he  replied,  'and  I  wouldn't  wonder 
if  they  are  all  up  there.' 

An    idea    seized    me. 

"  'Tom,'  I  exclaimed,  'can  we  get  up  to  that  lake, 
handily?' 

"'Well,'  he  replied,  'it's  a  matter  of  five  miles  or  so 
through  the  woods ;  it's  a  good  tramp,  but  not  a  hard 
one,  by  any  means.' 

"'Tom,    is    there    a    boat    on    the    lake?'    I    asked. 

"'No,  sur,  not  now,'  he  answered,  'we  used  to  have 
a  canoe  on  it,  but  the  river  men  smashed  it.' 

"'Suppose    we    try    a    raft    on    it,'    I    continued. 

"'We  might  do  that,'  he  said,  'or  better  still,  get 
one  of  the  men  about  here  to  haul  a  skiff  up  through 
the  woods.' 

"'If  that  can  be  clone,'  I  answered,  'rush  it,  Tom, 
and  we  will  try  the  lake.' 


With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera.  2I3 

"Tom  did  'rush  it,'  and  before  the  following  day  had 
passed  he  had  succeeded  in  getting  a  skiff  carted  through 
the  woods  to  the  desired  place.  On  the  day  after  we 
made  an  early  start  for  a  day's  exploration  of  the  lake. 

"It  was  a  pretty  good  tramp  up  through  the  woods, 
although  a  portion  of  the  way  was  over  a  lumber  road, 
but  we  reached  the  lake,  which  is  about  a  mile  in  diam- 
eter, at  an  early  hour,  and,  launching  the  skiff,  we  began 
our  investigation,  Tom  slowly  rowing  and  I  casting  over 
the  surface  as  far  as  I  could  reach  in  all  directions  as 
we  moved  along. 

"The  surface  of  the  water  was  covered,  here  and 
there,  with  the  leaves  of  the  water  lily,  and  the  water 
was  dark  and  warm ;  a  few  spotted  or  brook  trout  rose 
to  the  fly,  but  nothing  came  up  worth  mentioning. 

"We  moved  about  here  and  there,  casting  and  exam- 
ining the  water,  but  not  a  salmon  did  we  see  until  we 
had  covered  more  than  half  of  the  whole  area,  and  I 
was  on  the  point  of  exclaiming,  'Tom,  there's  no  salmon 
in  this  pond!'  when  a  fish  darted  from  the  water  into 
the  air  and  fell  back  with  a  mighty  splash  close  to  the 
bow  of  the  boat ;  so  close,  in  fact,  that  the  water  flew 
in  a  shower  over  the  oarsman.  Tom  jumped  as  if  he 
had  been  shot,  and  turned  in  his  seat  in  time  to  catch 
a  glimpse  of  the  fish. 


214  With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera. 

"'What  are  you    doing,   Tom?'    I    exclaimed,   laughing 
at  his    astonishment. 

'"I'm    all    right,'    he    replied,    'only    the    salmon    was 
treating    me    to    a   shower   bath,    that's    all.' 

"The  leap  of  the  first  fish  seemed  to  be  a  signal  for 
the   fun   to   begin,   and   never   in   all   my  fishing  experience 
had    I    seen    anything    like    it- 
Salmon  to  right  of  us, 
Salmon  to  left  of  us, 

and  salmon  all  around  us,  leaping  into  the  air  in  every 
direction.  We  were  now  very  near  the  inlet  of  the  river 
at  the  head  of  the  lake,  and  just  by  a  gravelly  point 
that  made  out  into  the  water;  and  here  the  fish  had 
congregated,  there  being  a  deep  hole  off  the  point  into 
which  the  cold  water  from  the  stream  above  settled. 

"Sometimes  a  grilse  or  salmon  would  leap  so  near 
the  boat  as  to  make  us  think  that  it  was  coming  aboard, 
and  I  actually  caught  myself  striking  at  one  with  my  rod 
while  it  was  in  the  air  near  me,  and  even  steady,  sedate 
old  Tom  made  a  pass  at  another  with  the  gaff,  so  near 
us  did  the  fish  leap.  Well,  of  course,  it  was  pretty  ex- 
citing watching  the  salmon  jumping  all  around  us.  Some 
were  fresh-run  and  bright ;  others  had  grown  dark-colored, 
showing  that  they  had  been  in  the  fresh  water  some  time. 
Indian  River  is  one  of  the  earliest  in  the  Provinces,  the 


216  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

salmon  ascending  the  stream  and  taking  the  fly  as  early 
as  the  latter  part  of  February ;  some  of  the  old  brown 
fellows  that  we  saw  were  undoubtedly  among  the  earliest 
ones  to  run  in. 

"After  a  while  the  leaping  and  splashing  ceased,  and 
then  I  began  casting  again,  and  I  kept  it  up  off  and  on, 
here  and  there,  all  day ;  but,  although  I  tried  every  va- 
riety of  flies,  and  fished  almost  as  many  ways,  not  "a  rise 
did  I  get. 

"'Tom,'  said  I,  as  we  ate  our  dinner  in  the  shade 
of  a  grove  of  maples  near  the  rapids  above  the  inlet, 
'what  shall  we  do;  I  dislike  very  much  to  give  up  try- 
ing to  rise  one  of  those  fish,  but  they  are  decidedly  con- 
trary.' 

"  'Con-tra-ry  they  be,  and  aggrawatin,  too,'  said  Tom 
in  reply,  'but  if  we  had  a  phantom  minnow,  one  of  the 
soft,  light,  elastic  ones,  we  might  make  them  sing  a  dif- 
ferent song.' 

"'What!'  I  exclaimed,  'will  they  take  a  phantom 
minnow?  I  know  that  it  is  used  on  the  other  side  of 
the  water,  but  I  never  heard  of  a  salmon  taking  one  in 
America.' 

"'Oh,  yes,'  answered  Tom,  who  had  finished  his  din- 
ner, and  was  filling  and  lighting  his  pipe,  '  I  have  heard 
of  the  like,  but  not  often.  If  we  had  one  we'd  try  it.' 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  217 

"'We  would,'  I  replied;  'it's  not  in  my  opinion  ex- 
actly sportsmanlike,  but  I  would  out  of  curiosity  like  to 
offer  one  to  them.  I  have  a  couple  down  at  the  house, 
and  we  will  try  them  to-morrow.' 

"  'Very  good,'  said  Tom,  'and  may  be  we'll  get  one. 
I  have  heard  of  more  than  one  being  taken  with  the 
phantom,  and  it  is  just  as  sportsmanlike  to  cast  it,  and 
fully  as  hard  as  it  is  the  fly.' 

"As  he  spoke  he  rose  and  began  turning  over  pieces 
of  turf,  stones  and  old  logs.  I  asked  him  what  he  was 
about,  and  his  reply  was:  'We'll  try  a  bunch  of  worms 
on  the  beggars,  that  is  if  you  have  a  bait  hook.' 

"'Worms!  Tom,'  I  exclaimed,  'who  ever  heard  of 
taking  a  salmon  with  angle  worms?' 

"  '  I  have,  more  than  once,'  he  answered,  '  and  we'll 
give  these  a  try.' 

"  I  searched  through  my  book,  but  could  not  find  a 
bare  hook. 

"'I  have  none,  Tom,'  said  I,  'but  if  you  can  find 
the  worms  I  will  cut  the  feathers  off  one  of  my  large 
flies.' 

"Tom  succeeded  in  finding  a  dozen  or  more  angle 
worms,  and  after  he  had  impaled  them  on  my  hook  I 
waded  out  into  the  rapids,  and  dropping  the  bait,  let  it 
float  down  and  sink  into  the  deep  pool  below.  I  had 


2i8  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

not  the  slightest  faith  that  a  salmon  would  touch  it,  but 
I  wanted  to  try  the  experiment. 

"Suddenly,  when  the  bait  had  sunk  four  or  five  feet 
in  the  deep,  dark  water,  I  felt  a  mighty  pull,  and,  strik- 
ing, I  found  I  was  fast  to  a  large  fish.  Heavens!  how 
that  beggar  pulled ;  the  reel  sang  out  piteously  as  the  line 
spun  out,  but  the  fish  hung  to  the  bottom  and  would  not 
jump. 

"  'Tom,'  I  exclaimed,  'he's  a  heavy  fish  and  a  strong 
one ;  he  hangs  to  the  bottom  like  all  possessed. ' 

"'Yes,  sur/  replied  Tom,  sucking  away  at  his  pipe, 
'you've  got  all  you  can  handle,  sure.' 

"  For  over  a  quarter  of  an  hour  did  that  fish  waltz 
around  the  pool,  circling  sometimes  slowly,  sometimes  with 
great  speed,  but  never  at  the  surface  where  he  could  be 
seen.  My  wrists  were  growing  tired,  for  I  had  kept  a 
strain  on  the  fish  for  all  my  casting  line  was  worth,  and 
I  began  to  find  I  was  getting  too  much  of  a  good  thing." 

"Yes,"  interrupted  Frere,  "it  must  be  dull  music  to 
play  a  salmon  that  never  jumps." 

"Indeed  it  is,"  remarked  William,  who  was  an  eager 
listener  to  my  story;  "and  it  was  a  pity  to  put  such  a 
heavy  strain  so  long  on  your  nice  rod." 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "but  I  was  fast  to  a  big  fish  and 
wanted  to  save  him  if  I  could.  Finally  I  told  Tom  to 


A  LONG  CAST.     (Inst.) 


220  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

stand  by  with  the  gaff  and  I  would  either  force  up  the 
salmon  so  he  could  gaff  it,  or  part  my  casting  line.  Tom 
came  out  to  me  with  gaff  in  hand,  and  I  lifted  so  that 
my  rod  was  bent  almost  double.  The  fish  began  to  yield, 
and  drawing  nearer  and  nearer  to  Tom,  finally  came  to 
the  surface.  Tom,  who  was  ready  to  use  the  gaff,  when 
he  saw  the  fish  coming  toward  him,  shouted,  'The  devil!' 
and  stepped  back. 

"'What's  up,  Tom?'  I   asked,  'why  don't  you  gaff  the 

salmon,   I  can't  hold  him  this  way  long.' 

» 

"'Salmon!'  shouted  Tom,  who  had  now  seized  the 
landing  net,  'it's  no  salmon  at  all,  it's  a  blasted  big  eel!' 

"'Eel!'    I    exclaimed,    'it    must  be   a  whale!' 

"  I  gave  the  beast  the  butt,  and  Tom  soon  had  the 
eel  in  the  landing  net.  It  was  almost  as  thick  as  my 
leg,  and  must  have  weighed  at  least  ten  pounds.  What 
a  mess  he  made!  My  elegant  casting  line,  one  that  I 
had  made  of  the  choicest  gut,  was  twisted  absolutely  into 
a  million  knots,  and  of  course  was  ruined. 

"He  killed  the  'varmint'  and  cut  the  line  free;  it 
was  useless. 

"'Tom,'  said  I,  as  we  got  into  the  skiff,  'it  serves 
me  right.' 

"  '  Yes,    sir,'    he    replied    coolly. 

"We    had    nothing    further   to  say.       I    rigged   on   an- 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  221 

other  leader  and  fly,  and  we  tried  the  salmon  again, 
legitimately,  but  we  could  not  stir  them,  and  we  gave 
up  the  fight  early  enough  to  permit  us  to  get  out  of 
the  woods  and  reach  the  house  before  dark. 

"The  next  day  we  tried  them  again,  and  the  next.  I 
experimented  with  flies,  phantom  minnows  and  even  with 
'hoppers,'  but  although  the  salmon  manifested  a  desire  to 
jump  all  around  us,  they  showed  no  inclination  for  nearer 
acquaintance,  and  we  finally  left  them  to  their  own  com- 
panionship. 

"  'Aggrawatin  cusses!'  exclaimed  Tom,  as  we  left  them 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day,  and  started  on  our  long 
walk  down  the  mountain  road."  * 

"Ha,    ha,"    laughed    Frere,    "it    must   have  been   fun." 

"Fun    for    the    saumon,"    added    William. 

"Yes,"    I    replied,    "but   not   for   us.      But   come,    Frere, 

"::"  That  salmon  will  rise  to  the  fly  in  lakes  and  ponds  is  shown  by  the  follow- 
ing from  an  article  on  "Collecting  Salmon  Spawn  in  Maine,"  published  in  Harper's 
Monthly  Magazine,  June,  1874.  In  treating  of  the  salmon  which  were  being  kept 
for  breeders  in  a  large  pond,  the  writer  says:  "During  June  and  July  the  salmon 
in  the  pond  are  constantly  jumping,  and  their  agility  is  remarkable.  On  two  oc- 
casions they  have  been  seen  to  jump  clear  over  a  hedge  five  and  one-half  feet  high 
above  the  water.  It  is  not  supposed  they  did  this  with  the  design  of  passing  the 
hedge,  but  accidentally,  it  being  quite  common  to  see  them  jump  to  an  equal  height 
in  the  middle  of  their  inclosure,  as  though  the  leap  were  entirely  aimless.  During 
the  early  days  of  their  confinement  they  are  frequently  seen  swimming  in  great  schools 
about  the  shores  of  the  pond.  As  the  summer  advances  they  become  more  quiet, 
retreating  to  the  deep  water,  not  very  deep,  however,  for  in  the  drought  of  August 
and  September  the  greatest  depth  in  the  pond  is  twelve  feet,  and  in  the  inclosure 
where  the  salmon  were  kept  the  past  season  only  nine  feet.  In  such  a  shallow  pond, 


222s  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

let's  give  a  few  more  casts  in  the  pool  and  then  move 
up  stream  to  the  Upper  Twin  Pool,  where  we  will  make 
our  permanent  camp." 

"All  right,"  replied  my  friend,  "and  boys,  while  we 
are  fishing  you  may  as  well  break  camp  and  pack,  we 
will  move  up  stream  soon." 

Taking  our  rods  we  made  our  way  to  the  stands  on 
the  pool,  I  occupying  Frere's  old  position  on  the  "rocks, 
and  he  taking  my  former  one  on  the  beach. 

The  sun  had  now  appeared  above  the  trees  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  river  and  the  water  sparkled  like  silver. 

In  the  shadows,  however,  it  was  dark,  and  the  re- 
flections of  the  foliage  were  in  the  quiet  nooks  as  per- 
fect as  if  they  were  cast  upon  a  mirror. 

A  southwesterly  breeze  was  blowing  down  the  stream, 
and  the  surface  of  the  pool  was  covered  with  dancing 

with  such  dark  water  and  bottom,  the  sun's  rays  exert  a  powerful  influence  in  mid- 
summer. At  one  time  the  temperature  of  the  water  at  the  bottom  reached  72°  F. 
Yet  this  excessive  heat  has  no  perceptible  effect  on  the  health  of  the  salmon.  Dur- 
ing all  this  time  the  salmon  eat  nothing.  In  fact  there  is  little  room  for  doubt 
that  their  stay  in  the  rivers  is  one  long  fast,  lasting  from  six  to  twelve  months. 
They  do  seize  the  sportsman's  fly,  but  it  is  probably  not  for  the  purpose  of  food, 
but  rather  akin  to  the  action  of  a  turkey  or  a  bull  rushing  after  a  red  rag.  It  is 
a  common  opinion  among  sportsmen  that  salmon  will  not  rise  to  a  fly  in  still  water, 
but  this  has  been  plainly  disproved  at  Bucksport.  On  several  occasions  in  May, 
September  and  October  the  trial  was  made  for  the  purpose  of  testing  the  matter, 
and  the  salmon  in  the  pond  were  found  to  take  the  fly  with  as  much  eagerness  as 
in  the  favorite  pools  of  the  Canadian  salmon  rivers.  These  were,  so  far  as  known, 
the  first  instances  of  salmon  being  caught  with  the  fly  in  the  Penobscot  River." 


H^ith    Fly -Rod   and    Camera.  223 

ripples.  My  fly,  a  handsome  Durham  ranger,  alighted 
here  and  there  on  the  pool  softly  and  silently,  and  my 
gradually  lengthening  line  soon  permitted  me  to  cover  all 
the  best  water  of  the  upper  half  of  the  pool.  At  length  I 
made  a  cast  over  the  sunken  boulder  in  the  eddy,  where 
the  salmon  always  lie,  when  a  fish  arose  and  took  my 
lure.  As  soon  as  he  felt  the  barb  he  gave  a  rush  and 
plunge  which  made  my  reel  sing  out  a  merry  tune. 

"Ah,  ha,"  exclaimed  William,  who  had  stood  beside 
me  for  the  preceding  five  minutes,  "you've  a  fine  fish, 
Doctor." 

"  I  think  it  is  a  salmon,"  I  replied,  lifting  the  rod, 
"but  he  keeps  down  like  a  big  trout." 

"Oh,  he'll  jump  quick  enough,  no  trouble,"  said  Wil- 
liam, and  even  as  he  spoke,  with  a  wild  dart  the  fish 
tore  down  the  pool,  jumping  into  the  air  several  times 
in  rapid  succession  and  trying  to  smash  my  casting  line 
as  he  fell  back  into  the  water  with  a  heavy  splash. 

When  I  saw  the  salmon  aiming  for  the  lower  part 
of  the  pool,  I  remembered  with  consternation  the  mass 
of  drift  stuff  in  which  Frere  had  lost  his  fish ;  for  I  knew 
that  once  in  that  mass  of  tangled  roots  and  sticks,  my 
leader  would  part  like  a  thread.  But  Hiram  had  pre- 
pared for  the  possibility  of  such  an  event,  for  as  soon 
as  he  saw  that  I  was  fast  to  a  salmon  he  pushed  out 


224  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

in  the  canoe  to  a  point  just  above  the  drift  wood,  and 
began  to  splash  the  water  with  a  paddle,  so  as  to  turn 
the  salmon  away,  and  the  plan  succeeded,  the  fish  swerv- 
ing suddenly  aside  and  darting  across  the  pool  away  from 
the  disturbance  that  the  guide  was  making  in  the  water, 
and  finally  returning  to  his  first  position. 

Reeling  in  with  the  utmost  rapidity,  I  soon  had  a 
taut  line  on  him  again,  and  then  lifting  on  the  rod  I  tried 
to  raise  him,  for  I  like  to  keep  a  salmon  moving.  It  is 
all  very  fine  to  stand,  according  to  the  ideas  of  some, 
with  a  doubled  up  rod,  for  half  an  hour,  waiting  for  the 
fish  to  stir;  but  it  is  bad  policy.  The  salmon  tires  but 
very  little  indeed,  so  long  as  he  is  still,  no  matter  how 
strong  a  lift  you  put  on  him,  and  such  a  long  continued 
strain  loosens  the  hold  cf  the  hook  sometimes  to  a  fatal 
extent. 

I  found  that  my  salmon  was  as  immovable  as  if  he 
were  anchored ;  and  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  try  other 
expedients.  Sometimes  a  few  turns  of  the  reel,  if  it  has 
a  strong  click,  will  cause  the  fish  to  move,  and  a  couple 
of  smart  blows  on  the  butt  of  the  rod  with  a  stone  or 
hunting  knife  telegraphs  clown  the  line  that  he  is  wanted 
"out  of  that." 

1  tried  both,  but  ineffectually,  the  fish  evidently  be- 
ing either  in  a  sulky  mood,  or  else  busily  engaged  in  try- 


226  With    Fly- Rod   and    Camera. 

ing  to  rub  out  the  hook  against  a.  stone  on  the  bottom. 
We  finally  started  him  by  throwing  a  couple  of  pebbles 
in  the  water  over  him,  when  with  a  mighty  leap  and  run 
he  made  for  the  rapids  at  the  foot  of  the  pool.  As  he 
darted  through  the  water  the  casting  line  struck  against 
two  other  salmon,  and  at  one  time  three  fish  were  in  the 
air  simultaneously.  It  was  a  sight  that  would  rouse  an 
anchorite,  and  my  nerves  fairly  tingled. 

My  fish,  greatly  to  my  satisfaction,  avoided  the  drift 
tangle,  and  giving  him  the  butt  I  restrained  him  so  that 
he  turned  back  into  the  deep  water  of  the  pool  and  be- 
gan circling  about  as  if  done  for. 

"Ah,    ha,"    exclaimed    William,    "he's    finished." 

But  there  was  still  a  good  deal  of  fight  left  in  him, 
as  three  or  four  leaps  plainly  testified.  How  beautiful 
he  was  as  he  flashed  in  the  air,  throwing  the  water  from 
him  in  globules  of  silver  as  they  sparkled  in  the  sun ! 
What  other  sensation  is  there  to  the  sportsman  equal  to 
the  feel  of  a  salmon  on  the  powerful  yet  pliant  rod? 
None ;  there  is  positively  none  to  compare  with  it.  I 
have  tried  almost  everything  with  rod  and  gun,  but  with 
nothing  else  have  I  ever  felt  that  thrill  of  intense  and  en- 
joyable excitement  that  I  feel  in  fighting  the  royal  salar. 

"Well,  Doctor,"  said  Frere,  who  had  crossed  the  river 
and  now  stood  beside  me,  "that's  a  pretty  lively  fish." 


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228  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

"Yes,  I  replied,  "he  certainly  keeps  his  strength  up; 
I  cannot  understand  why  it  is  that  he  holds  out  so  well, 
he  seems  as  strong  as  ever." 

"Oh,  he's  hooked  in  the  tough  gristle  of  the  lip," 
replied  Frere,  "and  your  line  does  not  drown  him  at  all, 
for  his  mouth  is  closed  all  the  time." 

"Are   you    sure?" 

"Certainly,"  he  answered;  he  jumped  just  abreast  of 
me  once,  and  I  saw  the  fly  plainly  outside  his  mouth." 

"Well,  old  fellow,"  I  said,  apostrophizing  the  salmon 
that  still  displayed  a  desire  to  investigate  the  stratum  of 
air  above  the  surface  of  the  pool,  "  if  you  are  hooked 
foul  we'll  see  what  the  old  rod  says  about  it ;"  and  at 
the  word  I  began  lifting  for  all  the  casting  line  would 
stand. 

The  fish  did  not  take  kindly  to  this  treatment  and  be- 
gan a  series  of  cavortings  all  over  the  pool  that  showed 
he  was  still  worth  a  good  many  dead  ones.  Here  one 
moment,  there  the  next;  sometimes  skimming  the  surface, 
again  hugging  the  bottom,  and  leaping  as  well  as  ever,  he 
kept  up  the  fight  for  a  good  half  hour,  and  my  wrists 
fairly  ached.  But  at  length  the  play  grew  less  energetic, 
as  the  fish  slowly  became  exhausted,  and  finally  he  laid 
on  his  side  and  allowed  the  gaff  to  land  him  high  and 
dry  upon  the  shore. 


230  IVith    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

"A  good  eighteen-pounder !"  exclaimed  Hiram,  hold- 
ing up  the  prize,  "and  a  fresh-run  fish  at  that." 

"See,"  said  Frere,  "it  is  just  as  I  said,  the  hook  is 
firmly  imbedded  in  the  lip." 

"Yes,  it  is  so,"  I  answered,  wiping  off  the  perspira- 
tion from  my  forehead  and  face;  "he  was  well  hooked, 
but  it  was  in  a  way  that  gave  him  all  his  strength  to 
fight  with." 

"Well,  gentlemen,"  said  William,  "I  suppose  that  there 
is  no  fishing  here  for  a  while  again,  and  we  may  as  well 
pack  and  start." 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "pick  some  green  boughs  and  brakes 
and  cover  up  the  fish  in  the  bow  of  the  canoe  away  from 
the  sun,  load  up  and  come  on.  Mr.  Frere  and  I  will 
start  ahead." 

In  a  few  minutes  my  friend  and  I  shouldered  our 
rods,  and  with  gaff  and  landing  net  we  started  up  the 
stream,  moving  pretty  rapidly,  but  casting  a  fly  here  and 
there,  when  a  bunch  of  sea  trout  made  the  waters  glisten, 
picking  out  a  few  for  our  dinner,  but  not  making  any 
great  effort.  In  fact  the  sun  was  too  bright  for  good 
fishing,  if  we  had  worked  ever  so  well.  So,  enlivening 
our  tramp  with  stories  of  flood  and  field,  discussions  in 
natural  history,  and  occasional  pauses  when  some  rare  bird 
or  flower  or  wild  plant  met  our  gaze,  we  kept  ahead  of 


With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera.  231 

the  canoe  for  a  long  stretch.  Our  guides  found  the  water 
very  shallow,  and  during  a  good  share  of  the  time  they 
were  obliged  to  wade,  hauling  the  canoe  over  the  shoals 
and  up  the  rapids. 

Occasionally  we  found  a  good  stretch  of  deep  water, 
where  we  could  all  take  to  the  boat,  but  for  the  greater 
portion  of  the  distance  we  did  not  depend  upon  it  at  all. 
It  was  about  one  o'clock  when  we  reached  the  rapids  at 
the  Big  Rock  Pool ;  here  we  found  that  the  water  was 
too  deep  for  wading,  and  we  climbed  aboard  the  canoe 
right  gladly. 

In  this  pool,  as  we  passed  over  it,  we  counted  over 
thirty  salmon,  and  the  promise  seemed  good  for  great 
sport  ahead;  this  pool  being  next  below,  and  only  about 
twenty  or  thirty  rods  distant  from  that  at  which  we  pro- 
posed to  make  our  permanent  camp,  the  two  pools  being 
generally  designated  as  the  Twin  Pools,  and  individually 
as  the  Upper  and  the  Lower.  We  landed  on  the  beach 
between  the  two  pools,  and  walked  up  to  a  grove  at  a 
point  near  the  rapids,  which  we  selected  for  our  tenting 
place,  and  here  the  guides  soon  joined  us  with  the  canoe. 

Here  was  to  be  our  home  camp  for  a  number  of 
days,  its  position,  lying  as  it  did  with  several  of  the  best 
pools  on  the  river  both  above  and  below  it,  being  most 
favorable.  Dinner  was,  of  course,  the  first  thing  to  de- 


232  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

mand  our  attention,  and  a  royal  one  it  was.  We  met 
it  with  appetites  such  as  no  one  but  a  sportsman  knows 
anything  about,  and  I  venture  to  say  that  the  grandest 
banquet  ever  served  could  not  have  been  more  enjoyable 
than  that  dinner. 

After  the  meal  had  been  attended  to,  Hiram  took  all 
our  best  fish  to  a  settler's  house  about  a  mile  from  the 
river,  where  he  was  to  take  a  team  and  carry  the  fish 
to  our  friends  at  the  hotel  at  the  shore.  Two  handsome 
salmon,  and  about  thirty  very  nice  trout,  made  a  pretty 
good  load,  and  we  knew  they  would  be  fully  appreciated. 
He  had  ahead  of  him  a  long  ride  of  twenty  miles,  and 
would  not  rejoin  us  that  night,  but  he  expected  to  be 
able  to  be  with  us  again  before  sunrise  the  next  morning. 

After  a  short  rest  Frere  and  I  began  to  cut  hem- 
lock boughs  for  our  bed,  while  William  cleared  a  tenting 
place,  made  the  camp  and  collected  a  liberal  supply  of 
fire  wood.  We  worked  steadily,  but  the  sun  was  well 
over  the  western  forest  before  everything  was  ready  for 
the  night.  A  comfortable  camp  it  was,  and  situated  in 
a  most  delightful  location.  The  tent  was  pitched  on  a 
slight  acclivity,  a  couple  of  rods  from  the  river.  Across 
the  wide  pool  was  the  base  of  a  high,  steep  hill,  and 
directly  opposite  the  camp  a  large  brook  emptied  its  cool 
sparkling  water  into  the  river.  At  the  head  of  the  pool 


234  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

a  series  of  rapids  flowed  with  unceasing  song,  covering 
the  surface  of  the  pool  with  flecks  of  snow-white  foam; 
at  the  foot  another  series  of  rapids  added  its  chorus  to 
the  music  of  the  falls  above.  Around  in  all  directions 
lay  an  almost  unbroken  forest. 

After  our  work  was  finished  Frere  and  I  took  our 
rods  and  began  casting  at  the  head  of  the  pool,  but  not 
a  salmon  deigned  to  notice  our  flies,  although  we  "picked 
out  a  few  trout  for  supper.  We  had  no  better  luck  in 
the  pool  below  us,  although  we  knew  that  there  were  a 
great  many  salmon  within  its  borders.  We  did  not  re- 
linquish our  efforts,  however,  and  it  was  only  when  twi- 
light came  on  and  the  guide  announced  that  supper  was 
ready,  that  we  gave  up  in  disgust,  and  returned  to  camp. 
Our  poor  success  did  not  prevent  us  from  doing  full  jus- 
tice to  our  evening  meal,  and  the  fragment  society  would 
have  had  very  unsatisfactory  pickings  with  the  remnants 
we  left. 

"Frere,"  said  I,  as  I  lighted  my  pipe  and  seated 
myself  on  an  old  root  that  thrust  itself  out  in  the  most 
accommodating  manner  for  my  support,  "there  are  salmon 
in  plenty,  but  I  am  afraid  we  shall  have  a  pretty  slim 
showing  unless  there  is  rain  enough  to  raise  the  river 
and  color  it." 

"I    agree    with    you,    fully,"   he   replied,    "the   water   is 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  235 

so  bright  up  here  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  keep 
out  of  sight .  of  the  fish  and  cast  into  the  pools." 

"Oh,  ye  may  get  an  odd  one  now  and  then,"  said 
William,  who  was  busy  arranging  the  camp  fire  for  the 
night,  "but  the  water  is  too  clear  altogether  for  big  fish- 
ing. Do  you  remember,  Doctor,  the  luck  ye  had  with 
your  Boston  friend  after  the  big  rain  last  year?" 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "that  was  a  day  long  to  be  re- 
membered, for  rarely  does  an  amateur  have  such  luck  as 
that." 

"What  was  it?"  asked  Frere,  who  was  reclining  near 
the  fire,  "tell  me  about  it." 

"Oh,  there  is  nothing  to  tell  of  any  consequence,"  I 
answered,  "beyond  what  has  fallen  to  the  experience  of 
every  fisherman ;  my  friend  expressed  the  desire  to  come 
up  the  river  with  me,  and  see  me  kill  a  salmon.  'See 
me  kill  one/  I  said  to  him,  'why  not  kill  one  yourself?' 

"'Oh,  it's  out  of  the  question,'  he  answered,  'I  have 
had  hardly  any  experience  in  casting,  and  shouldn't  know 
what  to  do  with  a  salmon  even  if  I  hooked  one,  suppos- 
ing my  tackle  should  hold  him,  which  I  very  much  doubt 
it  would.' 

"'WV11  see  about  all  that,'  I  answered,  'we'll  have 
the  canoe  hauled  up  to  the  settlement  near  the  river  to- 
night, and  we'll  take  an  early  start  to-morrow  morning 


236  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

and  drive  up  to  the  upper  pool ;  there  we'll  take  the 
canoe  and  run  down  the  river,  fishing  all.  the  pools,  of 
course,  on  the  way  down.  The  rains  have  brought  up 
the  river  in  good  shape,  and  we  ought  to  get  some  fish.' 

"'I'd  like  nothing  better,'  he  replied,  'but  I  think 
that  seeing  you  fish  will  be  enough.  I  think  I  will  not 
carry  my  rod.' 

"'Nonsense,'  I  said,  'you  are  going  to  kill  a  salmon 
to-morrow,  so  you  may  as  well  fix  your  tackle  to-day.' 

"Although  my  friend  did  not  seem  very  hopeful  as 
to  his  ability  to  fight  a  salmon,  he  was  finally  prevailed 
upon  to  take  his  tackle  along,  and  we  started  at  day- 
break on  our  long  drive.  We  reached  the  river  at  this 
point,  and  it  did  not  take  us  long  to  get  started  down 
stream,  one  of  the  guides  in  the  bow  of  the  canoe,  the 
other  in  the  stern,  and  my  friend  and  myself  in  the  mid- 
dle. There  was  enough  water  to  carry  us  comfortably, 
and  we  slid  down  the  rapids  to  the  Long  Pool  in  good 
style.  Here  we  found  our  first  salmon.  We  had  put 
my  friend  through  his  lessons  so  well  in  the  upper  pool 
that  he  was  now  casting  quite  a  decent  fly. 

"'Now,'  said  I,  as  we  stepped  ashore  at  the  head 
of  the  pool,  'you  are  my  guest  to-day,  and  I  want  you 
to  get  a  fish ;  begin  here  at  the  head  and  cast  carefully, 
and  you  will  rise  one,  sure.' 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  237 

"He  did  not  seem  over-sanguine,  but  began  casting, 
we,  of  course,  looking  on,  and  by  the  Piper,  he  did  rise 
a  nice  salmon,  although  he  did  not  hook  him.  Well,  he 
was  just  the  wildest  man  I  ever  saw ;  the  perspiration 
started  on  him  and  he  was  all  of  a  tremor." 

"Buck   fever,    hey?"    queried   Frere. 

"  No,   salmon    fever,"    I    replied. 

"  My  friend  insisted  upon  it  that  I  should  try  for 
the  fish,  declaring  that  it  would  be  folly  for  him  to  at- 
tempt killing  it,  etc.  To  all  of  which  I  answered :  '  No, 
sir !  by  all  the  rules  of  anglers,  as  you  rose  that  salmon 
he  is  yours.  We  will  wait  a  few  minutes,  and  then  you 
must  try  him  again.' 

"He  finally  consented,  and  in  a  short  time  began 
casting  again,  and  at  the  third  cast  he  hooked  the  fish. 
Heavens,  what  a  yell  he  let  out  as  the  salmon  started 
on  the  run.  My  friend  had  a  poor  affair  for  a  reel,  and 
it  would  not  render  half  decently,  so  that  it  kept  all 
hands  pretty  busy  in  shouting  to  him  how  to  manage. 
When  the  fish  leaped  we  shouted  to  him  to  drop  the 
point  of  his  rod,  and  when  the  line  was  taut  again  we 
told  him  how  to  handle  it.  The  water  in  the  rapids 
was  making  a  good  deal  of  noise  that  day,  I  remember, 
so  that  we  had  to  use  our  vocal  organs  to  the  best  of 
our  ability,  and  altogether  it  was  a  pretty  lively  time. 


238  With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera. 

Well,  as  good  luck  would  have  it,  after  quite  a  fight  he 
saved  the  fish,  and  I  never  saw  a  man  more  delighted 
in  my  life  than  he  was  when  the  gaff  brought  the  sil- 
very prize  up  on  the  beach. 

"'Good  enough,'  I  exclaimed  to  him,  'how  do  you 
like  it  as  far  as  you've  got?' 

"' '  Like  it ! '  he  repeated  excitedly,  '  I  never  knew  what 
sport  was  before.  I  am  perfectly  delighted,  for  it's  some- 
thing I  have  always  longed  for,  but  never  expected  to 
attain.' 

"'Yes,'  I  replied,  'there  is  nothing  like  it,  and  I  ex- 
pect you  will  now  want  a  salmon  river  all  to  yourself ; 
but,  come  on,  we'll  get  into  the  canoe  and  try  for  an- 
other fish  in  the  next  pool ;  we  haven't  got  through  yet 
by  any  means.' 

"  '  I'm  satisfied,'  he  exclaimed,  getting  into  the  birch ; 
'you  must  take  your  turn  now,  and  I  will  be  a  looker-on 
the  rest  of  the  day.' 

"'Not  much,'  I  replied;  you  are  company  to-day,  as 
I  before  stated,  and  you  shall  have  the  first  chance  at 
the  best  pools.' 

"Well,  to  make  a  short  story  of  it,  we  fished  all  the 
pools  down,  and  when  we  reached  the  mouth  of  the  river 
we  had  five  salmon  and  about  forty  pounds  of  splendid 
sea  trout.  My  friend,  who  had  had  the  post  of  honor 


240  IVith    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

along  down,  killed  three  of  the  salmon,  while  I  contented 
myself  with  the  other  two." 

"Yes,  it  was  a  fine  day's  sport,"  said  William,  when 
I  had  finished,  "and  the  best  of  it  was,  not  a  fish  was 
lost." 

"No,  not  one,"  I  added;  "it  was  a  fine  run  of  luck 
to  save  every  fish ;  far  different  from  that  which  I  had 
on  the  day  following,  during  which  I  was  fast  to  six  sal- 
mon and  did  not  kill  one." 

"Yes,   that  was   hard    luck,   altogether,"   said   William. 

"Well,  we  have  to  take  it  as  it  comes,"  said  Frere, 
philosophically,  "it  is  the  uncertainty  which  attends  sal- 
mon fishing  that  gives  it  a  great  part  of  its  fascination ; 
if  we  were  always  sure  of  our  fish,  the  sport  would  soon 
become  cloying." 

"Yes,"  I  added,  "it  is  not  only  the  uncertainty  of 
killing  the  fish  after  he  is  hooked  that  makes  the  sport 
so  attractive,  but  the  uncertainty  of  hooking  him  at  all 
has  its  weight." 

"True  enough,"  replied  Frere,  "a  salmon  is  attrac- 
tive largely  through  its  caprices.  How  many,  many  days 
have  I  passed  working  over  pools  that  I  knew  contained 
the  fish,  without  getting  a  rise." 

"Yes,  and  isn't  it  aggravating,"  asked  WTilliam,  "to 
know  they  are  there,  but  don't  care  a  pin  for  your  flies?" 


With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera.  241 

"  I've  noticed  that  when  salmon  are  jumping  much 
they  never  take  the  fly  in  any  water,"  said  Frere,  after 
a  short  pause. 

"Yes,  it's  the  case,"  remarked  William,  "they  usu- 
ally won't  'take'  well  when  they're  leaping." 

"  I  think  that  every  fisherman  has  noticed  it,"  I  re- 
plied. "  I  once  cast  for  several  hours  on  two  or  three 
pools  on  the  Ingram  River,  in  Nova  Scotia,  over  and 
fairly  amid  jumping  salmon,  fish  that  were  leaping  and 
splashing  all  the  time,  but  they  would  not  touch  the  flies, 
although  I  tried  every  variety  on  them." 

"Did  you  ever  have  the  salmon  'lep'  at  the  fly  in 
sport  like  a  trout,  without  taking  it?"  asked  William. 

"Yes,"  I  answered,  "and  I  know  of  nothing  more  ex- 
citing and  exasperating.  I  remember  a  particularly  mad- 
dening instance  on  the  Margaree  in  Cape  Breton.  I  was 
fishing  that  splendid  pool  called  the  Brook  Pool  about 
two  miles  below  the  settlement  at  Northeast  Mariraree. 

O 

It  is  long,  deep  and  wide,  and  famous  for  sea  trout  and 
salmon.  At  its  head  the  river  flows  over  steep  rapids, 
and  immediately  below  them  a  large  brook  joins  it,  pour- 
ing in  a  generous  supply  of  cool,  clear  water;  at  the 
junction  of  the  brook  and  river  the  pool  is  very  deep, 
and  there  is  a  big  eddy  two  good  casts  in  width  which 
whirls  and  swirls  about  in  a  lively  manner.  In  this  eddy, 


242  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

and  on  each  side  and  below  it,  the  salmon  love  to  lie, 
and  many  an  excititing  fight  have  its  shores  witnessed. 

"  I  was  fishing  the  pool  early  in  the  morning  on  the 
occasion  that  I  refer  to,  and  everything  seemed  right  for 
a  good  day's  sport;  there  had  been  a  smart  rain  on  the 
preceding  day,  and  the  water  was  well  colored  and  run- 
ning strong.  I  had  made  but  a  few  casts  when  a  large 
sea  trout  took  my  fly,  and  it  splashed  around  consider- 
ably before  I  could  land  it.  It  spoiled  my  fly,  and  I 
was  obliged  to  change  it." 

"Nothing  wuss  nor  sea  trout  to  spile  flies,"  said  Wil- 
liam, sententiously,  as  I  paused  for  a  moment  to  apply 
some  "intment"  to  my  neck,  face  and  hands,  the  midges 
having  become  savage. 

"Yes,"  added  Frere,"  "their  sharp,  needle-like  teeth 
ruin  a  good  fly,  and,  if  I  can  help  it,  I  never  hook  one 
with  a  salmon  fly,  it  costs  too  much." 

"While  I  was  changing  my  flies,"  I  continued,  "I 
stepped  back  upon  the  beach,  and  after  a  new  fly  was 
on  I  stopped  to  light  my  pipe,  with  my  back  to  the 
pool,  when  suddenly  I  heard  a  loud  splash.  Turning  on 
the  instant  I  saw  the  circles  on  the  water  where  a  heavy 
fish  had  evidently  just  sunk  in  the  middle  of  the  eddy. 

"  'Ah !  my  beauty,'  I  exclaimed,  '  I  thought  you  were 
there,  let's,  try  for  a  better  acquaintance.' 


244  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

"  I  waded  out  again  and  began  casting,  and  was  soon 
fast  to  a  large  fish,  which  proved  to  be  a  four-pound  red- 
spotted  brook  trout.  The  current  was  so  strong  and  the 
fish  so  heavy  that  I  could  not  prevent  it  from  rushing 
into  the  best  part  of  the  pool,  when  in  a  twinkling  four 
salmon  jumped  into  the  air  almost  simultaneously,  prob- 
ably having  been  stirred  up  by  the  casting  line  striking 
them  as  the  trout  dashed  in  their  midst. 

"Whew,  what  a  'kick  up'  they  made.  One  was  a 
small  fish  only  of  about  eight  pounds  weight ;  two  were, 
I  should  judge,  about  twelve  pounds  each,  and  the  other 
was  an  old  patriarch  of  about  thirty  pounds.  Now,  there 
is  not  another  pool  in  the  Dominion  that  is  better  than 
that  one  to  kill  a  salmon  in,  and  I  was  just  wild  to  try 
conclusions  with  the  big  one.  I  landed  that  trout  in  the 
shortest  possible  time,  and  putting  on  a  large  bright  fly 
on  account  of  the  depth  and  color  of  the  water,  I  began 
casting  again.  I  worked,  I  should  think,  a  good  quarter 
of  an  hour,  but  not  a  rise  rewarded  my  efforts.  I  then 
changed  for  a  big  showy  silver  doctor  that  I  bought  of 
Scribner,  of  St.  John. 

"That  started  the  salmon,  and  such  fun  as  they  had 
with  me !  Sometimes  one  would  come  up,  and  often  two 
at  a  time ;  they  leaped  all  around  the  fly  and  over  it, 
and  the  big  one  actually  jumped  into  the  air  after  it; 


246  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

they  cavorted  around  there  for  a  long  time  playing  with 
the  fly,  but  did  not  offer  to  take  it.  This  was  quite  a 
new  experience  with  me  in  salmon  fishing,  although  I  had 
seen  trout  play  the  same  capers. 

"Well,  I  held  that  pool  the  entire  day,  changing  flies 
and  casting,  and  resting  it,  in  the  vain  expectation  of  get- 
ting one  of  the  fish.  Several  times  during  the  day  did 
they  repeat  their  morning's  performance,  and  the  •  big  one 
was  just  as  playful  as  the  others;  but  greatly  to  my  dis- 
gust I  finally  had  to  abandon  the  pool  and  its  capricious 
inhabitants,  and  go  home,  'a  sadder  yet  wiser  man.'1 

"After  all,  Doctor,"  exclaimed  Frere,  laughing,  <;you 
had  'the  air  and  exercise,'  as  your  friend  used  to  say." 

"He  had  that,  indeed,"  added  William,  chuckling,  "a 
whole  day  at  it  without  hooking  a  salmon,  it  ought  to 
cure  dyspepsia;  but  what  sort  of  a  river  is  the  Margaree 
that  you  have  spoken  about  so  many  times?  I  should 
think  it  must  be  fine." 

"It  is  a  fine  river,"  I  replied,  "one  of  the  best  in 
the  Dominion,  if  the  spearers  and  netters  would  let  it 
alone." 

"That  would  be  a  good  thing  for  every  river,"  said 
Frere,  "if  it  could  be  brought  about;  but  I  fear  that  is 
not  to  be  hoped  for." 

"It    is    so,"    said    William,    "there's    no    real    way    to 


248  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

guard  a  river  except  by  camping  on  the  pools,  and  I 
have  even  heard  of  netters  sweeping  them,  with  a  party 
tenting  on  their  banks.  But  tell  us  about  Cape  Breton. 
I've  heard  there's  fine  farms  there." 

"There  are,"  I  replied,  "and  if  Mr.  Frere  is  not  too 
sleepy,  I  will  use  up  an  hour  on  that  island  before  we 
retire." 

"On  the  contrary,"  said  Frere,  "I'm  not  at  all  sleepy, 
and  I  would  very  much  like  to  hear  about  our  eastern 
'Blue  Nose'  island." 

William  fixed  the  fire,  and  then  refilled  and  lighted 
his  pipe.  I  took  a  fresh  cigar,  settled  myself  comfort- 
ably, and  began. 


CHAPTER    IV. 


A  CHOICE  OF  ROUTES  TO  CAPE  BRETON.  PORT  MULGRAVE  AND  THE  GUT  UK 
CANSO.  •  ST.  PETER'S  CANAL.  •  THE  BEAUTIFUL  BRAS  D'OR.  •  ALL 
ABOUT  SYDNEY  AND  COAL.  •  THE  SUCCESS  OK  THE  SYDNEY  FISH  HATCH- 
ERY. •  STATISTICS  OF  CAPE  BRETON  SALMON  BREEDING.  •  POOR  OLD  Louis- 
BOURG.  •  BADDECK.  •  A  DELIGHTFUL  TRIP  TO  THE  MARGAREE.  -  EIH  - 
CATED  TROUT.  •  SUCCESS  IN  USING  A  "GRAY  MOUSE."  •  NORTHEAST 
MARGAREE.  •  ABUNDANCE  OK  SEA  TROUT.  •  THE  FISHING  STATION  OK 
CHETTICAMP.  •  WORK  OF  THE  FISH  COMMISSIONERS  AT  NORTHEAST  MAK- 
GAREE.  •  TAKING  AND  HANDLING  SALMON  EGGS.  •  PICTURESQUE  SCENERY 
ON  THE  MARGAREK.  •  LAKE  AINSLEE.  •  A  CELEBRATED  POOL.  •  OUT- 
WITTING EDUCATED  FISH.  •  WHYKOKOMAGH.  •  A  MOST  ENJOYABLE  SAIL. 
ABUNDANCE  AND  VARIETY  OF  BIRD  LIFE  ON  CAPE  BRETON. 


'  /^\I?  COURSE,  for  you  Canadians  there  is  but  one 
route*  that  you  would  care  to  travel  to  the  Gut 
of  Canso,  where  you  take  the  Bras  D'Or  steamer,  but  to 
us  from  the  States  there  are  several,  and  all  are  popu- 
lar. The  tourist,  as  well  as  fisherman,  will  find  much  to 
interest  and  delight  him  in  a  visit  to  Cape  Breton.  It 
abounds  in  picturesque  scenery,  and  some  of  the  views 
that  one  may  have  there  are  really  magnificent.  The 

*  Via    the    Intercolonial    Railway. 


252  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

people   are   peculiar   in   many  ways,   and  quaint  and   inter- 
esting  beyond   description. 

"  In  leaving  Boston  the  tourist  has  a  choice  between 
three  steamer  routes  and  two  by  rail.  One  steamer  leaves 
on  Saturdays,  and  touches  at  Halifax  and  other  points  on 
the  Nova  Scotia  coast,  and  lands  you  at  Port  Hawksbury, 
Another  runs  to  Annapolis,  from  which  point  there  is  a 
railroad  to  Port  Mulgrave.  The  third  steamer  belonging 
to  the  International  Steamship  Company  will  carry  you 
direct  to  St.  John,  N.  B.,  where  you  can  take  cars  to 
Port  Mulgrave.  The  all-rail  route  from  Boston  to  Port 
Mulgrave  is  also  popular  with  many. 

"  My  favorite  route  is  to  take  the  International  morn- 
ing boat  to  Portland,  Me.  The  sail  is  one  of  the  most 
enjoyable  on  the  eastern  coast;  the  steamers  of  this  line 
are  large  and  elegant,  and  the  whole  voyage  is  an  ever- 
changing  delightful  succession  of  most  beautiful  seaboard 
views  of  Massachusetts,  New  Hampshire,  and  a  portion 
of  Maine.  Arriving  at  Portland  in  the  afternoon,  I  spend 
a  few  hours  in  that  city,  and  in  the  evening  take  the 
express  train  on  the  Maine  Central  Railroad.  The  boat 
leaves  Portland  later  in  the  afternoon,  and  arrives  at  St. 
John  a  little  after  two  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of  the 
next  day.  The  Maine  Central  and  New  Brunswick  rail- 
roads, over  which  we  pass  between  Portland  and  St.  John, 


254  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

are   both  well    managed    and    equipped    lines,    and    it    is    a 
pleasure    to    travel    over   them. 

"Arriving  at  St.  John,  the  tourist  may  spend  a  day 
very  enjoyably  in  that  queer  old  city,  but  it  is  necessary 
for  him  to  leave  on  the  10  P.  M.  train  from  St.  John  in 
order  that  he  may  connect  with  the  steamer  at  Port  Mul- 
grave,  on  the  afternoon  of  the  next  day.  The  Intercol- 
onial Railway  runs  through  interesting  portions  of  New 
Brunswick  .and  Nova  Scotia,  and  some  of  the  views  to 
be  had  from  the  train  in  the  last  named  Province  are 
among  the  finest  in  eastern  America.  Leaving  the  cars 
at  Port  Mulgrave  and  embarking  on  the  steamer,  we  find 
ourselves  on  a  neat,  comfortable  boat,  the  '  Marion,'  with 
Capt.  Geo.  L.  Burchell  as  commander.  He  is  a  gentle- 
man who  has  traveled  widely,  is  very  intelligent,  and  the 
traveler  will  find  his  acquaintance  well  worth  cultivating. 

"From  Port  Mulgrave  a  good  view  is  obtained  of 
the  celebrated  Strait  of  Canso,  which  is  the  great  high- 
way through  which  the  fishing  vessels,  steamers  and  other 
craft  pass  to  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence.  It  is,  I  believe, 
from  a  mile  to  a  mile  and  a  half  in  width,  and  over  a 
dozen  in  length.  Leaving  Port  Mulgrave  on  the  steamer 
a  view  of  a  portion  of  the  town  presents  itself,  but  it  is 
not  a  satisfactory  one. 

"After  crossing  the  strait  and  touching  at  Port  Hawks- 


256  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

bury,  the  steamer  passes  along  the  shore  of  Cape  Breton 
for  several  hours,  giving  the  tourist  a  most  beautiful  pan- 
oramic view  of  lovely  bays,  headlands,  forests  and  smiling 
farms.  Soon  after  leaving  Hawksbury  the  dinner  bell  is 
rung,  and  we  are  startled  to  find  a  first-class  dinner  cooked 
and  served  in  first-class  style  by  that  accomplished  steward, 
Thomas  Mitchell. 

"At  length  the  first  lock  of  St.  Peter's  Canal"  is  en- 
tered. This  canal,  which  runs  from  the  Strait  of  Canso 
to  the  Bras  D'Or  Lake,  is  a  fine  specimen  of  engineer- 
ing enterprise,  and  the  passage  through  its  locks  up  into 
the  Bras  D'Or  Lake  is  an  experience  novel  and  interest- 
ing. Passing  into  the  lake,  the  sail  is  one  of  the  most 
delightful  to  be  conceived  of.  * 

"One  may  spend  a  month  most  delightfully  about  the 
shores  of  this  beautiful  inland  sea,  in  visiting  the  towns, 
the  mines  and  the  various  other  points  of  interest.  The 

*A  writer  well  says:  "Who  can  describe  the  beauties  of  this  strange  ocean 
lake,  this  imprisoned  sea  which  divides  an  island  in  twain?  For  about  fifty  miles 
its  waters  are  sheltered  from  the  ocean  of  which  it  forms  a  part,  and  in  this  length 
it  expands  into  bays,  inlets  and  romantic  havens,  with  islands,  peninsulas  and  broken 
lines  of  coast — all  combining  to  form  a  scene  of  rare  beauty,  surpassing  the  power 
of  pen  to  describe.  At  every  turn  new  features  claim  our  wonder  and  admiration. 
Here  a  cluster  of  fairy  isles,  here  some  meandering  stream,  and  here  some  narrow 
strait  leading  into  a  broad  and  peaceful  bay.  High  above  tower  the  mountains, 
with  their  ancient  forests,  while  at  times  bold  cliffs,  crowned  with  verdure,  rise  ma- 
jestically toward  the  clouds.  Nothing  is  common,  nothing  tame  ;  all  is  fitted  to  fill 
the  mind  with  emotions  of  keenest  pleasure." 


Ui 
bo 


258  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

most  important  town  on  the  island  is  Sydney,  and  it  is 
well  worth  a  visit.  It  is  quaint  and  interesting  in  the 
extreme,  and  its  near  proximity  to  the  celebrated  Sydney 
coal  mines  renders  it  a  busy,  thriving  place.  It  is  said 
that  the  quantity  of  Sydney  coal  available  is  estimated 
at  over  a  thousand  million  tons.  Some  of  the  mines  have 
been  extended  out  under  the  ocean,  our  steamer  passing 
over  some  of  the  submarine  mines  and  miners  as  it  sped 
along  nearly  two  miles  from  the  shore,  as  we  were  in- 
formed by  Captain  Burchell,  who  pointed  out  to  us  the 
hoisting  apparatus  and  cars  on  the  shore  at  the  mouth 
of  the  mines.  At  Sydney  huge  ocean  steamers  may  .be 
constantly  seen  at  its  wharves  loading  with  the  black  dia- 
monds. One  of  these  piers  is  over  eleven  hundred  feet 
in  length,  and  ships  of  the  largest  size  may  be  seen  ly- 
ing beside  it. 

"The  fish  hatchery  at  Sydney  is  well  worth  a  visit, 
for  it  is  one  of  the  best  managed  in  Canada,  and  the 
superintendent,  Mr.  C.  A.  Farquharson,  takes  great  pride 
in  the  good  record  it  has  made.* 

*  Mr.  Farquharson  has  kindly  sent  me  the  following  memorandum  of  the  oper- 
ations at  this  hatchery  in  the  year  1888:  "This  is  the  sixth  year  since  the  hatch- 
ery commenced  operations.  Every  year  has  marked  a  progress  in  the  quantity  of 
ova  obtained  and  the  number  of  fry  deposited  in  the  various  streams.  In  no  sea- 
son since  the  hatchery  was  opened  has  so  great  success  attended  our  efforts  as  the 
season  just  closed  except  one.  Last  fall  parent  fish  were  secured  abundantly,  each 
stream  fished  yielding  more  than  on  any  previous  year,  and  as  a  natural  consequence 


260  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

"There    is    one    point    of    interest    that    every    tourist 
should   visit   and   that   is   the   site   of    Louisbourg,    formerly 

the   quantity  of   spawn   obtained  was   much   larger — there   being   a    total   of    2,000,000, 

yielding    1,415,000   fry.      These  have  been  carefully  and  in  excellent  condition  depos- 
ited  as   follows,    viz.: 

Sydney    River,    Cape   Breton    County 250,000 

Ball's    Creek 100,000 

Trout    Brook 1 75,000 

Black    Brook 75,ooo 

Grand    Lake 50,000 

Twelve-Mile    Brook 50,000 

Eskasonia    River 50,000 

Salmon    River 100,000 

George's    River 50,000 

McLean's    Brook 50,000 

Margaree   River,    Inverness   Count}' 150,000 

Middle    River,    Victoria   County 100,000 

Baddeck    River 100,000 

Grand    River,    Richmond   Count}- 50,000 

River    Tear -. 50,000 

Hatchery    Brook 4 : 1 5,000 


Total 1,415,000 

"The    total    number   of  fry  turned  out   from   this   hatchery  since    1882,   when   the 
first   distribution   was   made,    is    5,118,200,    and   were   distributed   as   follows,  viz; 

1882 331,000 

1883 569,000 

1884 .^ 853,000 

1885 772,200 

1886 1,178,000 

1887 1,415,000 


Total 5,118,200 

"Of  course,  it  is  premature  to  look  for  the  result  that  will  be  naturally  ex- 
pected from  the  depositing  of  so  much  young  fry  in  our  streams,  yet  the  indica- 
tions so  far  are  hopeful  and  encouraging.  In  each  of  these  streams  supplied  from 
the  hatchery  young  salmon  are  unprecedentedly  numerous,  together  with  this  during 
the  present , season  an  unusually  large  number  of  small-sized  salmon  ( 7  Ibs.)  have 
been  caught  at  the  entrance  of  our  rivers  so  replenished.  This,  with  the  increased 
vigilance  with  which  our  rivers  are  protected  from  the  slaughter  of  salmon  by  poach- 
ers during  spawning  seasons,  augurs  hopefully  for  the  increase  of  salmon  in  our  rivers." 


262  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

called  Port  Royal  and  Saint  Anne.  It  is  reached  by  the 
narrow-gauge  railway  from  Sydney,  and  the  run  of  thirty- 
one  miles  is  through  an  interesting  country. 

"  Poor  old  Louisbourg,  once  one  of  the  strongest  for- 
tified cities  in  the  world,  is  now  a  grass-grown  ruin  where 
hardly  a  stone  is  left  upon  another ;  in  fact  the  only  trace 
of  the  fortifications  now  left  is  an  old  bomb-proof,  quite 
dilapidated  and  falling  apart,  a  pitiful,  woe-begone  memen- 
to of  ancient  grandeur.* 

"Near  Sydney  are  one  or  two  fine  rivers,  the  Myra, 
twelve  miles  from  the  town,  being  an  early  salmon  stream 

*  Mr.  W.  K.  Reynolds  writes  of  Louisbourg  as  follows:  "Once  it  was  a  city 
with  walls  of  stone,  which  made  a  circuit  of  two  and  one-half  miles,  were  thirty-six 
feet  high,  and  of  the  thickness  of  forty  feet  at  the  base.  For  twenty-five  years 
the  French  had  labored  upon  it,  and  had  expended  upward  of  thirty  millions  of  livres 
in  completing  its  defenses.  It  was  called  the  Dunkirk  of  America.  Garrisoned  by  the 
veterans  of  France,  and  with  powerful  batteries  commanding  every  point,  it  bristled 
with  the  most  potent  pride  of  war.  To-day  it  is  difficult  to  trace  its  site  among 
the  turf  which  marks  the  ruins.  Seldom  has  demolition  been  more  complete.  It 
seemed  built  for  all  time;  it  has  vanished  from  the  face  of  the  earth. 

"  Every  New  Englander  should  visit  Louisbourg.  Its  capture  by  the  undisci- 
plined New  England  farmers,  commanded  by  William  Pepperel,  a  merchant  ignorant 
of  the  art  of  war,  is  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  events  in  the  annals  of  history. 
The  zealous  crusaders  set  forth  upon  a  task,  of  the  difficulties  of  which  they  had 
no  conception,  and  they  gained  a  triumph  which  should  make  their  names  as  im- 
mortal as  those  of  the  'noble  six  hundred.'  It  was  a  feat  without  a  parallel — a  mar- 
vel among  the  most  marvelous  deeds  which  man  has  dared  to  do. 

"Restored  to  France  by  the  peace  of  Aix  la  Chapelle,  Louisbourg  was  again 
the  stronghold  of  France  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  and  French  veterans  held  Cape  Bre- 
ton, the  key  to  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence.  The  brief  truce  was  soon  broken,  and 
then  came  the  armies  of  England,  and  Wolfe  sought  and  won  his  first  laurels  in 
the  new  world.  Louisbourg  fell  once  more,  and  the  knell  of  its  glory  was  rung. 


264  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

of  considerable  importance,  as  is  also  the  Sydney  River. 
At  Baddeck  the  fisherman  who  is  destined  for  the  Mar- 
garee  River  leaves  the  steamer  and  secures  a  team  for 
his  long  drive  inland. 

"The  little  book,  'Baddeck  and  that  Sort  of  Thing,' 
by  Charles  Dudley  Warner,  has  done  more  to  make  this 
place  famous  than  all  the  inhabitants.  Every  one  who 
has  not  read  it  will  enjoy  it,  for  it  is  written  in  his  best 
vein. 

"  Baddeck  is  a  quiet,  inoffensive  sort  of  place,  and 
most  of  its  inhabitants  seem  'constitutionally  tired,'  but 

The  conquest  of  Canada  achieved,  the  edict  went  forth  that  Louisbourg  should  be 
destroyed.  The  work  of  demolition  was  commenced.  The  solid  buildings,  formed 
of  stone  brought  from  France,  were  torn  to  pieces;  the  walls  were  pulled  down  and 
the  batteries  rendered  useless  for  all  time/  It  took  two  years  to  complete  the  work 
of  destruction,  and  then  the  once  proud  city  was  a  shapeless  ruin.  Years  passed 
by;  the  stones  were  carried  away  by  the  dwellers  along  the  coast;  and  the  hand 
of  time  was  left  to  complete  the  work  of  obliteration.  Time  has  been  more  merci- 
ful than  man;  it  has  covered  the  gloomy  ruins  with  a  mantle  of  green,  and  has 
healed  the  gaping  wounds  which  once  rendered  ghastly  the  land  which  nature  made 
so  fair.  The  surges  of  the  Atlantic  sound  mournfully  upon  the  shore  the  requiem 
of  Louisbourg,  the  city  made  desolate. 

1 '  Another  Louisbourg  exists  to-day,  across  the  harbor  from  the  site  of  the  former 
city.  It  has  a  population  of  about  one  thousand,  and  is  reached  by  the  Sydney  & 
Louisbourg  Railway,  a  narrow-gauge  line,  thirty-one  miles  in  length.  The  fare  from 
Sydney  is  only  seventy-five  cents,  and  tourists  should  make  the  trip.  Some  fine  scenery 
is  found  on  the  road  at  Catalone  Lake  and  Mire.  The  Louisbourg  Land  Co.'s  Hotel 
affords  good  accommodation;  and  apart  from  its  historic  interest  the  place  is  worthy 
of  a  visit.  The  site  of  old  Louisbourg  may  be  visited  and  the  lines  of  some  of 
the  fortifications  traced,  and  one  who  has  a  history  which  gives  a  good  account  of 
the  sieges  may  be  interested  and  instructed  in  following  out  the  plans  of  the  attack- 
ing parties." 


266  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

it  is  very  pleasantly  situated  on  the  shores  of  the  Bras 
D'Or,  and  its  facilities  for  boating,  bathing  and  pleasure 
driving  over  excellent  roads  are  grand.  Its  main  street 
is  much  like  the  main  street  of  many  New  England  vil- 
lages, but  it  possesses  one  edifice  of  fame,  its  jail,  which 
Mr.  Warner  treats  of  in  a  most  entertaining  way. 

"A  team  chartered  and  the  baggage  packed,  we  start 
for  the  village  of  Northeast  Margaree,  our  stopping  place 
while  we  fish  the  Margaree  River.  The  drive  from  Bad- 
deck  is  about  twenty-five  miles  in  length,  and  once  taken 
is  something  that  will  ever  after  have  a  place  among  the 
pleasant  memories  of  the  tourist.  The  road  winds  among 
and  over  the  mountains,  affording  superb  views  of  the 
country  for  miles  on  either  side.  Forests  in  long  stretches 
and  well  cultivated  farms  alternate,  and  vistas  of  exceed- 
ing beauty  open  up  on  every  hand. 

"As  the  carriage  reaches  the  summit  of  some  tower- 
ing hill,  the  almost  boundless  stretch  of  forest  softening 
away  in  the  horizon  into  a  faint  blue,  broken  here  and 
there  by  the  rugged  sides  of  a  towering  mountain,  makes 
a  scene  of  beauty  and  grandeur  quite  beyond  the  power 
of  description. 

"About  half  way  between  Baddeck  and  the  Marg'a- 
ree  is  the  Middle  River,  a  famous  stream  for  large  sea 
trout,  and  salmon  are  also  often  taken  in  its  waters. 


268  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

"We  reached  this  river  at  about  midday,  and  as  the 
driver  informed  us  that  it  was  the  proper  thing  to  stop 
here,  eat  lunch,  bait  the  horses  and  cast  for  trout,  we 
followed  his  advice,  rigged  our  tackle  and  were  soon  busy 
casting  in  the  pool  below  the  big  rapids  near  the  road. 
We  soon  found  that  the  pool  contained  a  large  number 
of  'educated  trout'  of  generous  size. 

"We  cast  for  at  least  half  an  hour,  and  not  a  rise 
did  we  get,  although  we  could  see  many  large  fish  mov- 
ing about  in  the  crystal  depths.  Surface  fishing  was  evi- 
dently something  that  they  knew  all  about.  Our  flies 
were  very  attractive  and  all  that,  but  they  were  old  ac- 
quaintances, and  the  trout  begged  to  be  excused.  The 
sight  of  so  many  beauties,  however,  put  me  on  my  mettle. 

"The  river  swept  down  over  several  boulders  and  a 
ledge  of  slate  stone,  and  pitched  down  sharply  into  the 
pool  which  was  below  the  rapids  fifteen  or  twenty  feet 
in  depth.  There  was  a  strong  current  where  the  main 
body  of  the  river  swept  across  the  pool,  and  I  thought 
I  saw  a  chance  for  outwitting  the  diffident  'ones.  Put- 
ting on  my  leader  a  quite  large  gray  hackle,  called  by 
most  anglers  the  'gray  mouse,'  I  dropped  it  into  the  wa- 
ter, and  letting  it  sink,  permitted  the  current  to  carry  it 
away  down  almost  to  the  foot  of  the  pool.  When  the 
line  tautened,  at  a  length  of  about  twenty-five  yards,  I 


<y 


270  M/ith    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

gave  it  a  few  gentle  twitches  and  began  to  draw  it  to- 
ward me  through  the  rushing  waters. 

"In  a  moment's  time  the  reel  was  singing  merrily  as 
a  three-pounder  seized  the  rly,  and  such  sport  as  he  gave 
me  on  my  eight-ounce  rod  for  a  good  five  minutes  before 
he  came  to  the  landing  net !  The  gray  mouse  was  a 
revelation  to  those  sea  trout,  and  I  picked  out  enough 
nice  ones  for  supper  in  a  very  short  time.  When  our 
driver  gazed  upon  them  his  face  wore  a  thoughtful  ex- 
pression, but  he  made  no  comment. 

"After  we  and  our  horses  had  lunched,  we  started 
again  on  our  journey,  and  at  about  five  o'clock  our  desti- 
nation, the  village  of  Northeast  Margaree,  came  in  sight. 
And  what  a  lovely  view  it  was  as  we  stopped  on  the 
brow  of  the  hill.  The  quiet  little  village  with  its  trim 
farm  houses  and  its  little  church  situated  in  the  lovely 
river  intervale,  in  the  midst  of  well-tilled  farms,  and  the 
whole  surrounded  by  mountains  which  stretched  away  in 
ranges  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 

"Our  stopping  place  was  to  be  the  house  of  a  Mr. 
James  J.  Ross.*  I  am  particular  to  give  his  full  name, 
for  of  the  thirty-eight  or  thirty-nine  families  in  this  sec- 
tion living  up  and  down  the  river,  thirty-three  of  them 
are  named  Ross,  and  as  he  keeps  one  of  the  few  houses 

*  Post   office   and   telegraph   address,    Northeast    Margaree,    Cape    Breton. 


272  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

that  are  fit  to  stop  at,  or  in  which  tourists  and  fisher- 
men are  taken,  it  is  important  that  those  who  contem- 
plate visiting  that  region  shall  know  whom  to  address  in 
order  to  secure  board  and  rooms.  If  he  cannot  take  in 
the  new  comer  there  are  other  houses  near  by  that  will, 
best  among  which  is  that  kept  by  the  village  postmis- 
tress ;  but  as  Ross  owns  the  teams  and  knows  all  the 
best  pools  in  the  country,  and  is  at  all  times  available 
as  driver,  guide  and  general  utility  man,  his  house  is 
much  the  best  to  stop  at. 

"  It  was  a  small,  unpretentious  structure  situated  in 
the  midst  of  luxuriant  farms.  How  he  and  his  very  good 
other  half  managed  to  pack  away  in  it  all  the  boarders 
that  they  had,  has  always  been  a  mystery  to  me.  He 
has  now,  however,  an  addition  built  to  his  old  house  that 
is  capable  of  holding  comfortably  all  the  guests  that  are 
likely  to  offer. 

"  Here  the  angler  has  all  the  river  and  brook  fish- 
ing the  most  enthusiastic  could  desire.  Immediately  back 
of  Ross's  house  is  a  brook  of  considerable  size,  large 
enough  in  many  places  for  good  fly-casting. 

"The  pools  in  this  brook  contain  great  numbers  of 
fine  sea  trout  and  large  spotted  or  brook  trout,  called  by 
the  settlers  'river  trout.'  These  latter  fish  never  descend 
to  the  sea,  and  are  as  high  colored  as  any  trout  I  ever 


274  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

saw.  I  doubt,  if  they  were  laid  side  by  side  with  choice 
Rangeley  specimens,  that  any  one  could  distinguish  them 
apart.  I  have  seen  in  the  beautiful  pool  called  Solomon's 
Cellar,  many  dozens  at  a  time  that  would  weigh  from 
three  to  six  pounds  each.  These  trout,  from  long  fa- 
miliarity with  the  usual  run  of  ilies,  are  also  'educated,' 
and  they  will  only  rise  at  early  morn  and  dewy  eve. 

"  Beyond  the  brook  is  the  beautiful  Margaree  River, 
the  Plaster  Pool  being  only  about  half  a  mile  from  the 
house.  This  river  is  unique  in  the  Provinces,  for  it  flows 
for  upward  of  thirty  miles  through  meadows  and  culti- 
vated farms,  and  every  pool  in  this  long  stretch  may  be 
reached  easily  and  almost  dry-shod. 

"  Below  and  above  the  settlement  there  are  some  of 
the  finest  salmon  pools  imaginable,  at  least  a  dozen  being 
within  six  miles.  In  all  of  these  magnificent  pools  sea 
trout  of  great  size  and  gaminess  are  abundant,  and  in 
the  right  season  salmon  also ;  but  it  is  almost  useless  to 
fish  the  river  for  salmon  if  the  water  is  low  and  clear, 
for  the  net  and  spear  quickly  take  out  all  the  fish  that 
have  run  in,  and  the  fly-fisherman  has  his  labor  for  his 
pains.  If  there  is  a  good  fall  of  rain  so  as  to  raise  and 
color  the  water  of  the  river,  thereby  rendering  spearing 
impracticable,  the  fresh  run  of  salmon  fills  the  pools  and 
the  fishing  is  magnificent 


276  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

"A  good  plan  is  to  write  to  Mr.  Ross  requesting  him 
to  telegraph  you  in  July  or  August  when  there  is  a  heavy 
rainfall,  and  start  at  once  as  soon  as  his  dispatch  is  re- 
ceived. 

"  I  know  of  no  other  river  that  can  be  fished  for  such 
a  distance  with  as  little  effort  from  the  angler,  and  the 
beauty  of  it  all  is  there  are  hardly  any  black  flies  or  mos- 
quitoes to  annoy  one.  Of  course,  up  the  river,  among 
the  barrens  and  in  the  mountains,  twenty  miles  or  so, 
there  will  be  flies,  and  savage  ones,  too,  but  in  the  open 
country  below  through  which  the  river  takes  its  course, 
no  annoyance  from  the  usual  pests  is  experienced. 

"One  can  pass  two  or  three  weeks  very  pleasantly 
and  profitably  at  Northeast  Margaree.  The  scenery  is 
charming — in  many  places  picturesque  —  and  it  is  often 
grand.  Forest-topped  and  green  mountains  environ  the 
settlement  completely.  Lovely  vistas  of  meadows  and  elm- 
studded  valleys  stretch  away  in  all  directions.  Beautiful 
drives  on  good  roads  are  available,  and  with  such  fish- 
ing as  may  be  had  there  the  time  passes  delightfully. 

"The  strange,  almost  unique  French  fishing  station 
of  Chetticamp  on  the  Gulf  shore  twenty-five  miles  away, 
is  one  of  the  points  to  which  an  excursion  should  be 
taken,  and  the  tourist  will  find  it  a  novelty  interesting 
in  the  extreme.  The  village  consists  of  a  long  street  of 


278  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

fishermen's  cabins,  and  the  industry  of  cod  fishing  and 
curing-  by  the  French  population  is  carried  on  with  a 
truly  Yankee  vigor.  The  only  landing  place  on  this  part 
of  the  Gulf  shore  is  in  a  little  cove  that  pierces  the  rough 
and  rocky  coast.  The  fishing  boats  when  the  wind  is 
favorable  enter  the  cove  and  pass  up  an  inclined  plane 
of  logs  over  which  they  slide  until  they  are  safe  from 
the  waves,  which  are  here  often  of  great  -  size.  Near 
Ross's  house  is  a  very  large  cold  spring,  in  which  the 
Nova  Scotia  Fish  Commissioners  keep  the  salmon  alive 
that  are  caught  for  breeding  purposes  until  the  spawn  is 
ready  for  stripping. 

"Some  idea  of  the  value  of  the  Margaree  as  a  sal- 
mon river  may  be  had  when  I  state  that  in  addition  to 
the  vast  number  of  fish  that  are  speared,  netted  and  kill- 
ed in  other  ways,  in  a  few  pools  in  the  neighborhood  of 
this  spring  alone,  there  are  caught  and  confined  in  it  from 
three  to  five  hundred  large  salmon  every  fall.  These  fish 
are  netted  in  the  river  near  by,  the  Government  paying 
one  dollar  for  each  live  fish  to  the  captors. 

"About  the  loth  of  November  the  work  of  taking 
and  fertilizing  the  eggs  is  begun.  The  eggs  and  milt  are 
taken  from  the  fish  and  stirred  together  in  a  pan.  The 
fertile  eggs  become  reddish  and  almost  as  hard  as  peas, 
while  the  infertile  are  white  or  of  a  pale  tlesh  color. 


280  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

"  For  removal  to  the  Government  hatchery  at  Syd- 
ney the  eggs  are  packed  in  wooden  boxes  about  fifteen 
inches  square,  in  moss  and  cotton  wool.  There  is  first 
deposited  at  the  bottom  of  the  box  a  layer  of  wet  moss; 
upon  this  is  laid  a  stratum  of  cotton  wool,  among  which 
the  eggs  are  packed.  Upon  this  is  placed  another  layer 
of  damp,  almost  wet  moss,  and  another  of  the  cotton  with 
its  quota  of  eggs,  and  upon  this  another  layer  of  each. 
Upon  this  third  layer  is  placed  a  partition  of  wire  net- 
ting, or  other  porous  material,  the  object  being  to  secure 
the  eggs  from  too  great  pressure,  and  upon  this  partition 
are  placed  another  three  layers  of  moss,  cotton  and  eggs. 
The  fry  hatch  about  the  last  of  April  or  first  of  May, 
and  all  the  time  between  the  period  of  their  extrusion 
from  the  parent  fish  until  they  are  hatched,  the  eggs  re- 
quire constant  and  most  intelligent  attention.  When  the 
fry  are  about  five  weeks  old  they  are  distributed  among 
the  various  rivers  in  the  Province  and  left  to  shift  for 
themselves. 

"The  percentage  of  fry  that  is  hatched  artificially  is 
vastly  higher  than  it  is  by  natural  methods.  Probably 
not  five  per  cent,  of  the  eggs  by  the  latter  method  ever 
result  in  fry,  while  of  those  artificially  propagated  not 
more  than  five  per  cent,  are  ordinarily  lost. 

"While  at  Northeast  Margaree  a  pedestrian  trip  away 


PQ 


282  IVith    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

up  the  river  will  be  something  that  the  angler  and  tourist 
will  enjoy.  He  will  need  to  take  an  outfit  for  camping, 
as  he  will  be  gone  several  days.  A  most  delightful  view 
of  the  settlement  and  valley  of  the  river  for  a  number 
of  miles  down  toward  the  sea  may  be  had  from  the  top 
of  the  hill  called  the  Boar's  Back.  The  painter  could 
here  find  a  subject  worthy  of  his  greatest  skill.  A  few 
miles  up  the  river,  at  what  is  called  the  Middle  Section, 
is  one  of  the  most  magnificent  pools  in  the  Provinces. 

"Continuing  on  up  the  river,  the  road  soon  becomes 
a  mere  path,  and  before  many  more  miles  are  passed,  the 
shores  of  the  river  become  the  only  thoroughfare  to  be 
depended  upon.  At  the  Three  Forks  one  pauses  for  the 
first  camping  place,  and  he  may  here  take  all  the  sea 
trout,  and  good  ones,  too,  that  he  can  dispose  of.  In 
fact  the  pools  are  now  all  filled  with  these  delicious  fish, 
with  now  and  then  a  specimen  of  the  higher  colored  but 
less  gamy  spotted  trout.  At  every  cast  in  the  larger 
pools  one  is  likely  to  rise  a  salmon,  so  that  it  is  better 
to  carry  strong  tackle  along,  and  not  depend  on  a  light 
single-handed  trout  rod. 

o 

"Near  this  point  are  the  celebrated  falls,  two  hun- 
dred feet  in  height,  and  beyond  these  the  salmon  do  not 
pass.  The  ascent  of  the  river  may  be  continued  for  a 
number  of  miles  further,  but  when  you  have  reached  a 


284  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

point  where  climbing  is  an  effort  of  the  most  arduous 
kind  and  the  river  but  a  noisy  rushing  mountain  stream, 
you  will  lose  your  enthusiasm.  At  Cape  Clear,  as  it  is 
called,  you  perforce  come  to  a  stop,  and  your  ambition 
will  lead  you  soon  to  turn  about  and  return  to  the  vil- 
lage. 

"If  you  ever  visit  the  island,  and  I  hope  you  will, 
when  you  leave  Northeast  Margaree  on  your  return  home, 
I  advise,  by  all  means,  instead  of  returning  to  Baddeck 
by  the  road  over  which  you  came,  to  drive  to  Lake  Ains- 
lee  and  thence  to  Whykokomagh  on  the  Little  Bras  D'Or, 
and  thence  by  steamer  to  Baddeck.  The  scenery  through- 
out most  of  this  thirty  odd  miles  to  Whykokomagh  is 
superb. 

"For  the  first  five  or  six  miles  the  road  follows  the 
windings  of  the  river,  and  I  do  not  remember  of  any- 
thing elsewhere  that  can  compare  with  the  beauty  of  the 
views  to  be  had  all  along. 

"The  river  intervale  stretches  away  for  miles  in  all 
directions.  Groups  of  graceful  elms  and  maples  dot  it 
here  and  there  most  picturesquely,  and  the  river  in  the 
sun's  rays  glistens  like  a  stream  of  silver  as  it  courses 
through  the  meadows.  Beyond  the  valley,  and  stretching 
away  in  the  distance  until  lost  to  sight  in  the  blue  hori- 
zon, green-topped  mountains  are  seen  on  every  side. 


286  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

"The  road  is  bordered  by  elms,  maples  and  the  vari- 
ous evergreen  trees,  and  as  it  winds  around  the  bases  of 
the  hills  or  ascends  to  their  tops,  it  affords  the  traveler 
most  exquisite  views  of  the  grand  panorama  around  him. 
The  river,  as  we  draw  nearer  its  mouth,  grows  wider  and 
more  stately,  and  becomes  a  stream  of  considerable  size. 

"Near  the  forks  of  the  Margaree  the  road  to  Lake 
Ainslee  branches  off  from  the  main  road  and  leads  in  an 
easterly  direction.  It  follows  the  southeast  branch  of  the 
river,  and  the  varied  panoramic  surprises  which  continu- 
ally meet  the  eye  arouse  to  enthusiasm  the  most  indif- 
ferent. 

"About  twenty  miles  from  the  Ross  settlement  the 
road  passes  the  outlet  of  Lake  Ainslee,  which  forms  the 
head  of  the  southeast  branch.  Here  are  numerous  eel 
weirs.  In  these  are  captured  many  barrels  of  the  fish 
tor  which  they  are  set,  and  it  occurred  to  me  that  they 
might,  if  occasion  required,  be  used  for  salmon  also. 

"  Passing  the  outlet  the  road  now  traverses  the  shore 
of  the  lake  through  a  farming  country  almost  devoid  of 
scenic  interest.  On  one  side  the  lake  stretches  away  as 
far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  the  blue  mountains  in  the  hor- 
izon forming  the  boundary.  On  the  other  side  pastures, 
fields  and  hills  succeed  each  other  monotonously. 

"For  about  five  miles  this  tame  and  unattractive  ride 


288  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

continues,  and  it  contrasts  sharply  with  the  wealth  of  pic- 
turesque beauty  that  had  preceded  it. 

"  Near  the  head  of  the  lake  is  a  stream  which  emp- 
ties into  it.  Spanning  this  is  a  bridge  which  was,  when 
we  crossed  it,  so  dilapidated  as  to  be  absolutely  unsafe 
for  loaded  carriages,  and  we  were  obliged  to  alight  and 
cross  it  afoot.  Below  this  bridge  is  a  large  deep  pool, 
worth  a  long  journey  to  see.  The  water  is  as  clear  as 
crystal,  from  five  to  twenty  feet  in  depth,  and  through- 
out the  summer  is  absolutely  packed  with  sea  trout. 

"As  I  crossed  the  bridge  I  looked  down  into  the 
water  below,  and  such  a  sight  I  never  before  witnessed. 
The  trout  were  in  thousands,  and  larofe  ones  most  of 

o 

them  were,  too.  This  pool  is  celebrated  throughout  this 
portion  of  the  island,  and  many  fine  catches  have  been 
taken  from  it.  In  years  past  it  has  been  poached  badly, 
and  is  even  now  somewhat,  but  not  to  the  degree  that 
it  was  a  few  years  ago,  a  warden  now  almost  constantly 
supervising  it.  I  am  told  that  in  1884  or  1885  a  man 
'jigged'  out  of  this  pool  in  one  day  three  barrels  of  those 
splendid  fish ! 

"We  stopped  for  the  night  at  a  farm  house  hotel 
near  the  bridge,  kept  by  a  Mr.  McLean.  Soon  after  our 
arrival,  haunted  by  the  vision  of  the  host  of  trout  I  had 
seen,  I  took  my  rod  and  sauntered  down  to  the  bridge 


290  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

to  ascertain  whether  or  not  they  were  interested  in  en- 
tomology. 

"  I  tried  them  with  various  hackles  and  other  flies  that 
I  thought  would  please  them,  but  they  had  been  'edu- 
cated.' They  had  seen  similar  offerings  before,  and  for 
two  hours  I  succeeded  in  landing  only  three  or  four  small 
fish,  evidently  unsophisticated  new-comers. 

"One  or  two  of  the  neighboring  farmers  stood  on 
the  bridge  talking  to  each  other  and  to  me  in,  I  have 
no  doubt,  pure  Gaelic,  the  language  of  most  of  the  Cape 
Breton  habitans,  and  evidently  enjoying  'larks'  at  my  ex- 
pense in  casting  over  the  fish  so  industriously.  What- 
ever they  said,  I  could  not  understand  a  word,  the  Gaelic 
tongue  not  having  been  mastered  by  me,  so  I  paid  no 
attention  to  them.  After  a  while  with  a  parting  'snicker' 
they  left  the  bridge  for  their  homes,  and  I  was  alone. 

"  The  sun  now  hung  above  the  western  horizon,  a 
huge  red  sphere.  The  skies  were  covered  with  the  most 
gorgeous  clouds  of  golden  and  purple  hues,  and  a  soft 
balmy  breeze  sprung  up.  I  ceased  casting,  and,  taking 
a  seat  on  one  of  the  cross  beams  of  the  bridge,  lighted 
a  cigar  and  gave  myself  up  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  mag- 
nificent scene  before  me.  The  bridge  was  only  a  half 
dozen  rods  from  the  lake  shore,  and  an  unobstructed  view 
could  be  had  for  the  entire  distance  to  the  further  shore. 


ENOUGH  FOR  BREAKFAST,  ANYWAY.    (Inst.) 


292  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

Across  the  bosom  of  the  lake  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun 
swept  in  a  broad  pathway  of  crimson  and  gold.  The 
azure  of  the  sky,  the  gorgeous  coloring  of  the  clouds,  the 
green  forests  and  fields  of  the  shore,  all  were  mirrored 
on  the  placid  water  with  the  most  beautiful  effect.  It 
was  a  scene  to  be  remembered  —  entrancing,  enrapturing. 

"  I  was  enjoying  it  with  all  the  artistic  sense  of  the 
beautiful  in  nature  that  I  possessed  when  I  was  awak- 
ened from  my  reverie  by  a  heavy  splash  made  by  a  large 
fish  in  the  water  below  me.  I  looked  down,  and  at  that 
instant  another  fish  came  to  the  surface  'and  with  a  splash 
seized  a  gnat  that  had  dropped  upon  the  water. 

"'Oh,  ho,  my  beauties!'  I  exclaimed,  'it  is  a  small  fly 
you  want,  is  it?  I  will  try  to  accommodate  you.' 

"Searching  among  my  feathered  treasures,  I  found  a 
small  black  gnat,  too  small,  I  feared,  to  be  strong  enough 
to  bear  the  strain  of  a  heavy  fish.  However,  I  put  it  on 
my  casting  line  and  dropped  it  down  upon  the  water,  giv- 
ing it  a  little  flutter  at  the  same  time.  In  an  instant  my 
reel  was  singing  merrily  as  I  struck  the  rise  which  came 
instantly,  and  I  was  fast  to  a  good  two-pound  fish. 

"I  was  alone  and  was  obliged  to  land  the  trout  un- 
assisted. It  was  a  difficult  operation,  for  the  fish  was 
lively  and  strong,  and  I  feared  for  my  small  hook.  I 
passed  the  rod  from  hand  to  hand  outside  the  beams  of 


294  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

the  bridge  as  I  moved  along  to  the  beach  where  I  had 
left  my  landing  net.  After  I  reached  it  I  had  to  play 
the  fish  until  it  was  completely  conquered,  for  I  had  a 
small  light  rod,  and  this  took  considerable  time.  How- 
ever, after  creeling  the  trout  I  had  a  good  hour  of  twi- 
light left,  which  I  improved  by  taking  three  more  very 
nice  fish,  and  some  smaller  ones. 

"When  I  showed  my  catch  at  the  hotel  it  was  pro- 
nounced 'very  handsome/  but  I  doubt  if  any  of  those 
who  saw  it  believed  I  took  it  with  anything  but  the  in 
that  section  popular  jig.  In  fact  I  noticed  one  or  two 
persons  examining  the  bodies  of  the  fish  for  'hook  marks.' 
All  the  fish  that  I  took,  although  they  had  doubtless  been 
in  the  pool  for  a  long  time,  were  as  silvery  bright  as  if 
fresh  run.  I  was  told  that  about  the  end  of  August  the 
salmon  come  into  this  stream  in  considerable  numbers. 

"A  comfortable  night  is  passed  at  McLean's,  and  after 
breakfast  is  disposed  of  the  route  is  resumed.  The  drive 
around  the  upper  end  of  the  lake  is  picturesque,  and  the 
twelve  miles  to  the  Little  Bras  D'Or  are  soon  passed,  an 
occasional  team  now  and  then  with  its,  to  us,  odd  char- 
acteristics, giving  a  spice  to  the  trip. 

"Arriving  at  Whykokomagh,  pronounced  by  the  na- 
tives 'Hogomagh,'  the  hospitable  shelter  of  the  Bay  View 
Hotel  is  a  welcome  boon  to  the  weary  traveler,  and  the 


296  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

dinner  that  the  hostess,  good  Mrs.  Mitchell,  serves,  seems 
a  royal  feast  after  the  plain  fare  that  has  been  had  on 
the  island ;  she  knows  what  a  good  dinner  is,  how  it 
should  be  cooked,  and  also  how  it  should  be  served. 

"  The  steamer  May  Queen  leaves  Whykokomagh  for 
Baddeck  at  about  two  in  the  afternoon.  From  the  steam- 
boat wharf  you  get  a  good  view  of  the  town,  which  is 
neither  neat  nor  attractive.  Up  the  Little  Bras  E^Or  the 
passage  is  one  of  the  most  delightful.  The  scenery  along 
the  shore  is  varied,  and  this,  together  with  the  balmy, 
health-giving  air,  the  placid  water  of  the  beautiful  lake, 
the  exhilarating  motion  of  the  boat,  all  make  the  sail  en- 
joyable for  every  moment  of  the  time.  The  steamer  ar- 
rives at  Baddeck  at  about  seven  in  the  evening,  and  land- 
ing here  the  tourist  finds  himself  again  on  the  main  route 
of  travel. 

"  Come,  William,  wake  up,"  I  exclaimed  to  the  guide, 
who  had  been  nodding  for  the  last  ten  minutes,  and  who 
was  now  on  the  point  of  going  to  sleep,  "wake  up  and 
gather  together  our  scattered  things  and  put  them  under 
cover,  it  will  rain  before  morning,  sure. 

"Well,  Frere,"  I  continued,  turning  to  my  friend  who 
was  silently  reclining  by  the  fire,  "  I  hope  you  are  not 
asleep,  too." 

"Not    I,"    he    replied,    "on    the    contrary,    I    am    wide 


298  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

awake,  but  I  was  thinking  about  Cape  Breton,  and  your 
description  of  its  beauties,  and  arranging  in  my  mind  a 
visit  to  the  island  at  a  not  distant  day." 

"Make  it,  make  it,"  I  answered,  leading  the  way  to 
the  tent,  "you  will  enjoy  it  thoroughly  and  never  regret 
it.  It  is  worth  a  visit  from  you  if  for  nothing  more 
than  to  see  the  wealth  of  bird  life  that  exists  there. 
Warblers  in  myriads  breed  there ;  sparrows  and  finches 
of  almost  every  kind  haunt  the  fields  and  bushes  in 
thousands.  I  counted  four  male  rose-breasted  grosbeaks 
in  one  little  swamp  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  length,  and 
dozens  of  those  graceful  little  sylvan  fairies,  the  redstarts. 
I  never  saw  anything  like  the  ornithological  exuberance 
there  is  on  that  little  island.  The  whole  feathered  wealth 
of  a  New  England  summer  would  not  equal  it,  it  seems 
to  me.-  Why,  I  flushed  an  English  snipe  at  almost  every 
ten  rods,  every  time  I  walked  through  a  meadow,  and 
this  in  the  breeding  season,  too,  and  saw  quite  a  variety 
of  other  shore  birds  that  I  always  supposed  bred  nowhere 
south  of  Labrador.  Yes,  Frere,"  I  added,  as  we  settled 
ourselves  for  a  night's  sleep,  "you  must  go  to  Cape  Bre- 
ton to  see  bird  life,  if  for  nothing  else." 

"I  think  I  shall  go,"  answered  my  friend,  "and  not 
alone  to  see  the  birds  either,  I  hope  to  see  some  of  the 
big  salmon  of  the  Margaree,  also." 


FALLS  ON  THE  MARGAREE  BELOW  CAPE  CLEAR. 


CHAPTER    V. 


A  HEAVY  RAIN.  •  SOUNDS  OF  THE  NIGHT.  •  FLY-FISHING  SOMETIMES  Goon 
IN  A  STORM.  •  A  GREAT  CATCH.  •  TROUT,  DUCKS  AND  GREBES  EXTERMI- 
NATED BY  PICKEREL.  •  OZONE.  •  ANOTHER  SALMON  HOOKED.  •  "Horns 
AND  FEARS..  •  DISAPPOINTMENT.  •  HIRAM  AS  A  FLY-CASTER.  •  MORE 
ABOUT  FAVORITE  FLIES.  •  A  HANDSOME  TRIO.  •  HOOKED  AND  SAVED. 
FRERE  GETS  ANOTHER  FISH.  •  How  THE  COUNTRY  BOY  ANGLES  FOR  A  SAL- 
MON. •  A  SQUIRREL  SKIN  FLY.  •  A  GREAT  CATCH.  •  THE  JACQUET  RIVER 
IN  NEW  BRUNSWICK.  •  BARCLAY'S  HOTEL  AND  THE  BEACH  ON  THE  BAIE  DBS 
CHALEURS.  •  GOOD  SPORT  IN  PROSPECT.  •  A  SUMMONS  FROM  HIRAM.  •  EX- 
CITEMENT. •  A  LONG  STRUGGLE.  •  CONGRATULATIONS.  •  A  PRETTY  STRING 
OF  SEA  TROUT.  •  FRERE  ALSO  HAS  GOOD  SUCCESS.  •  SENDING  OUT  FISH 
TO  FRIENDS.  •  TROUT  FISHING  AT  THE  RANGELEYS.  •  GREAT  SPORT  WITH 
LIGHT  TACKLE.  •  HATCHING  SALMON  ARTIFICIALLY  A  GREAT  SUCCESS.  •  THE 
OPERATIONS  AT  DIFFERENT  HATCHERIES.  •  WEIR  OWNERS  GET  THE  CREAM. 
OUR  ANGLERS  THE  FIRST  TO  URGE  THE  ARTIFICIAL  STOCKING  OF  RIVERS  AND 
LAKES.  •  STATISTICS  OF  SALMON  FISHERIES.  •  POACHERS  GROWING  MORE 
RECKLESS.  •  SURFACE  FISHING  CANNOT  EXTERMINATE  THE  FISH.  •  HABITS 
OF  THE  SALMON.  •  CONJECTURES  CONCERNING  THE  IDENTITY  OF  THE  SEA 
TROUT.  •  ALL  ABOUT  LAKES  EDWARD  AND  ST.  JOHN.  •  THE  HOME  OF 
THE  WlNNINISH.  •  GREAT  RlVERS  IN  THE  NORTH.  •  Is  THE  WlNNINISH  A 
LAND-LOCKED  SALMON?  •  DIMENSIONS  AND  WEIGHT  OF  SCHOODIC  SALMON. 


I    WAS  awakened  in  the  night  by  the  rain  pelting  down 
upon  the  tent  in  fierce,   heavy  showers.      Our  cover- 
ing  was,    as   William   expressed    it,    "as   dry  as   a   house/' 
so   that   we   experienced    no    discomfort    from    the    storm ; 
but   the   uproar   of   rain    beating    down    upon    the    canvas, 


•CAPE  CLEAR"  ON  MARGAREE  RIVER,  CAPE  BRETON. 


302  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

and  upon  the  foliage  of  the  trees  about  us,  and  the  sur- 
face of  the  water  near  by,  kept  me  awake  for  a  long 
time.  I  lighted  a  cigar,  and,  stretched  upon  our  soft 
bed,  listened  to  the  sounds  of  the  stormy  night. 

Occasionally  an  old  tree,  decayed  at  its  base,  fell  in 
the  forest  with  a  thundering  crash.  The  wind,  soughing 
through  the  trees,  at  intervals  between  the  din  of  the 
showers  brought  to  the  ear  the  musical  tones  of  the  rush- 
ing water  in  the  neighboring  rapids.  A  restless  owl  hov- 
ered near  by,  its  lugubrious  cry  echoing  back  from  the 
hillside  across  the  river. 

To  all  these  sounds  I  listened  until  my  cigar  was  fin- 
ished, when,  turning  upon  my  side  and  covering  my  head 
with  my  felt  camping  hat,  I  fell  asleep  again,  and  did 
not  wake  until  the  sound  of  the  guide's  axe  aroused  us 
in  the  morning. 

Emerging  from  the  tent  we  found  that  Hiram  had 
arrived  and  with  William  was  busy  at  the  fire  preparing 
breakfast.  It  is  almost  incredible  how  quickly  the  woods- 
man can  start  a  fire,  no  matter  how  heavy  the  rain  may 
be  or  how  wet  the  fuel.  The  first  thing  is  to  find  an 
old  pine  or  cedar  stump,  and  the  resinous  wood  hewn 
therefrom  will  start  a  rousing  fire  in  the  worst  of  weather. 

The  rain  had  ceased,  but  a  heavy  fog  hung  over  the 
river  and  on  the  sides  of  the  hills  about  us. 


3°4  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

"What's  the  day  to  be,  Hiram?"  I  exclaimed,  as  I 
stood  by  the  cheerful  fire  which  was  now  crackling  among 
the  pine  and  cedar  logs,  of  which  the  guides  had  pro- 
cured a  liberal  supply. 

"I  think  it  will  be  a  wet  day,  sir,"  he  answered, 
"showery  like;  not  a  heavy  rain." 

"Yes,"  added  William,  who  was  busy  slicing  bacon 
and  washing  potatoes  for  breakfast,  "it  will  be  showery 
and  dark ;  not  the  best  day  ever  was  for  fishing,  although 
ye  can  try  these  two  pools,  if  ye  like." 

"Yes,  we  will  do  so  after  breakfast,"  said  Frere,  who 
was  also  enjoying  the  grateful  warmth  of  the  fire,  "al- 
though it's  not  the  best  day,  as  you  say." 

"It  might  be  worse  though,"  Hiram  exclaimed,  as  he 
gave  the  fire  a  fresh  adjustment  and  hung  the  tea-kettle 
to  boil,  suspending  it  from  a  stake  of  green  wood.  "  I 
don't  like  to  fly-fish  in  a  storm,  for  I  ginerally  find  that 
the  fish  won't  rise." 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "it  is  true  as  a  rule,  but  sometimes 
the  best  fishing  is  had  when  the  rain  drops  come  patter- 
ing upon  the  surface  of  the  water.  One  of  the  biggest 
catches  I  ever  made  was  on  a  perfectly  hateful  day.  It 
was  the  lyth  of  June  in  1859  or  '60  that  this  happened. 
It  was  on  the  Magalloway  River  in  Maine,  at  the  pool 
just  below  Aziscohos  Falls.  I  stood  on  one  rock  all  the 


306  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

time,  and  landed  my  own  fish,  being  without  a  guide. 
During  the  whole  day  there  was  a  succession  of  snow 
squalls,  hail  storms  and  rain ;  certainly  a  worse  day  for 
fishing  could  not  be  imagined,  yet  I  took  over  a  bushel 
of  spotted  trout  from  the  pool,  using  brown  or  red  hackles. 
I  never  saw  fish  so  eager.  At  every  cast  a  half  dozen 
or  more  would  dart  for  the  fly,  and  I  was  busy  all  the 
time." 

"Small  trout,  I  suppose,"  said  Frere ;  "they  are  often 
crazy  like  that." 

"Not  so  small,  either,"  I  answered;  "many  of  them 
would  weigh  two  pounds  apiece  and  over.  They  were  a 
magnificent  lot,  and  they  furnished  a  dinner  for  half  the 
people  in  the  settlement  below  at  Wilson's  Mills." 

"That  was  good  fishing,"  exclaimed  Hiram,  "although 
we  have  beaten  it  badly  among  sea  trout,  hey,  William?" 

"We    have,    indeed,"    assented    the    other   guide. 

"That  may  be,"  said  I,  "but  not  in  a  bad  storm, 
boys,  not  in  a  heavy  storm." 

"No,  sir,  you're  right  there,"  replied  Hiram,  "it  was 
good  fishing  for  brook  trout,  altogether ;  it  must  have 
been  a  fine  pool,  that." 

"Yes,  it  was  a  splendid  one,"  I  answered;  "the  falls 
were  steep  and  high,  so  high  in  fact  that  the  trout  could 
not  ascend  them,  and  they  gathered  in  the  pool  below  in 


308  With    Ply-Rod    and    Camera. 

great  numbers.  That  was  long  ago,  however;  I  doubt 
if  a  trout  could  be  found  there  now." 

"Why  so?"  asked  Frere.  "It  seems  incredible  that 
a  large  river  could  be  absolutely  exhausted." 

"The  trout  have  been  exterminated  below  the  falls, 
not  by  fishermen,  but  by  those  fresh-water  sharks,  the 
pickerel,  which  have  ascended  the  river  from  Lake  Um- 
bagog  below." 

"The  trout  stands  no  chance  against  pickerel,  I  am 
told,"  said  Frere. 

"No,  no  chance  whatever,"  I  answered,  "the  voracity 
of  the  pickerel  is  something  astonishing.  In  the  Schoo- 
dic  Lakes  these  abominable  vermin  not  only  devour  the 
young  land-locks,  but  they  are  absolutely  driving  away  the 
wild  ducks  that  used  to  breed  there  in  immense  num- 
bers. *  The  pickerel  should  be  outlawed." 

"It    must   be    a   great   pest,"   said    Frere. 

"Well,  gentlemen,  your  breakfast  is  ready,"  said  Wil- 
liam, pointing  to  the  abundant  viands  that  were  served 
upon  our  rude  table. 

"All  right,"  I  answered,  "we  will  surround  it  at  once." 

*  Geo.  A.  Boardman  of  Calais,  Me.,  writes:  "Ducks  and  grebes  that  used  to 
breed  so  abundantly  on  our  river,  in  consequence  of  the  pickerel  eating  up  their 
young  have  nearly  deserted  it  as  a  breeding  place.  They  also  eat  the  young  of 
domestic  ducks,  and  have  proved  so  destructive  to  them  that  people  up  the  river  have 
abandoned  trying  to  raise  them." 


3io  With    Fly- Rod   and    Camera. 

A  good  half  hour  was  devoted  to  the  meal,  and  we 
enjoyed  it  thoroughly. 

"What  is  it,  Frere,  that  gives  us  such  ferocious  ap- 
petites?" I  asked,  as  I  helped  myself  to  a  third  trout. 

"Ozone,"  he  exclaimed,  impaling  another  fish  to  keep 
even  with  me. 

"Ozone,"  said  William,  "what's  that?  I  thought  it 
was  our  fresh  air  and  the  exercise  that  made  the  hunger." 

"All  the  same,  William,"  I  said,  "all  the  same  thing; 
another  dipper  of  tea,  please." 

After  breakfast  was  disposed  of  we  started  for  the 
head  of  the  lower  pool,  about  twenty  rods  down  the  beach 
from  the  camp.  Frere  gave  me  the  first  chance  at  the 
pool,  saying  he  would  try  his  luck  later  in  the  pool  be- 
low us. 

I  began  casting,  but,  although  I  got  out  considerable 
line  and  fished  carefully,  I  did  not  succeed  in  'lifting'  a 
fish,  and  after  a  ten  minutes'  exercise  with  the  rod  we 
crossed  at  the  head  of  the  pool  for  the  beach  on  the 
other  side. 

Here  I  began  casting  again,  moving  down  the  stream 
a  foot  or  two  with  every  cast,  covering  all  the  water  as 
I  progressed.  I  dropped  my  fly  at  length  behind  a  jut- 
ting rock  on  the  other  side,  and  with  a  big  swirl  a  sal- 
mon took  the  lure  and  settled  in  the  pool. 


IVitk    Fly- Rod    and    Camera.  3 1 1 

What  a  moment  it  is  after  a  salmon  is  hooked  in 
which  we  wait  for  his  first  rush !  The  nerves  tingle,  the 
heart  almost  ceases  to  beat ;  we  brace  every  muscle  and 
prepare  for  the  battle  that  we  know  is  inevitable.  The 
pressure  is  put  upon  the  rod,  the  line  begins  to  move 
slowly  at  first,  as  if  the  fish  disdains  to  notice  the  frail 
fibre  which  holds  him ;  then,  with  a  mighty  dash,  with 
the  speed  of  thought,  he  spins  out  the  line,  making  the 
reel  fairly  scream  at  the  rapidity  of  the  motion. 

The  salmon  to  which  I  was  fast  was  a  strong,  ac- 
tive fish,  and  his  first  run  took  out  at  least  seventy  yards 
of  line. 

"Bring  the  canoe,  quick,  William!"  I  shouted,  "we 
may  have  to  follow  him  down  the  rapids." 

Almost  as  soon  as  I  had  finished  my  sentence  the 
canoe  was  at  my  side,  and,  hurrying  into  it,  we  prepared 
to  follow  the  fish  if  it  went  out  of  the  pool.  It  was  a 
beautiful  pool  to  kill  a  salmon  in,  having  an  abundant 
depth  of  water  all  over  it ;  it  was  about  two  hundred 
yards  in  length,  and  at  the  lower  end  shoaled  consider- 
ably before  reaching  the  rapids,  but  it  was  deep  enough 
even  there  to  float  a  heavily-loaded  canoe. 

The  distance  to  the  next  pool  below  was  only  about 
one  hundred  rods.  Tearing  down  into  the  shoal  water 
the  salmon  seemed  on  the  point  of  making  for  the  rapids. 


312  IVith    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

Shouting  to  the  guide  to  follow  him  1  held  the  fish  with 
as  firm  a  hand  as  I  could,  watching  with  apprehension 
my  line  rapidly  disappearing  from  my  reel.  One  hundred 
yards  had  spun  out,  and  twenty  more  before  the  salmon 
concluded  to  turn  back.  Our  canoe  had  started  to  follow 
the  fish,  and  this  gave  the  line  a  fearful  bight  or  slack 
when  the  salmon  darted  back  into  the  pool,  and  never 
before  have  I  made  my  big  reel  fly  as  I  did  in  wind- 
ing up  that  slack.  I  succeeded  in  getting  it  packed  on 
the  spool  again  solidly  and  in  even  layers. 

Unquestionably,  there  are  more  salmon  lost  by  foul- 
ing an  unevenly,  slovenly  reeled  line  than  from  any  other 
cause.  Invariably,  if  a  line  is  loose  anywhere  on  the  reel, 
the  fish  will  cause  it  to  overrun,  and  then  throw  a  sort 
of  half  hitch  on  the  reel,  and  this  clone  the  casting  line 
parts  as  if  it  were  a  cotton  thread.  I  have  seen  so  many 
fish  lost  by  this  carelessness,  and  also  by  the  line  fouling 
in  that  infernal  implement,  the  wheel  turned  by  a  crank 
instead  of  by  a  handle  in  the  revolving  plate,  that  I  am 
cautious  in  avoiding  both  fruitful  sources  of  expletives  and 
despair. 

Winding  in  the  line  carefully,  yet  with  the  greatest 
possible  speed,  I  very  soon  had  it  tautened  again  on  the 
fish,  which  was  now  in  the  pool  not  ten  yards  from  the 
canoe.  Feeling  the  lift  of  the  rod,  the  salmon  darted 


o 


314  With    Fly- Rod   and    Camera. 

away  again,  this  time  up  the  pool,  .  leaping  three  times 
in  quick  succession,  and  throwing  the  water  away  up  on 
the  rocks  on  the  side  of  the  pool ;  following  this  he  spun 
back  and  forth  in  short  nervous  runs,  and  then  settled  in 
the  deep  hole  at  the  foot  of  the  upper  rapids.  Here  I 
followed  by  walking  beside  him  on  the  beach,  and  gave 
him  the  butt  for  all  I  dared  to,  inviting  him  at  the  same 
time  to  "come  in  out  of  the  wet."  In  response  he  "darted 
into  the  air,  shaking  his  head  like  a  black  bass,  and  so 
close  to  me  that  I  could  have  struck  him  with  the  tip 
of  my  rod  when  I  lowered  it  as  he  fell  back  into  the 
pool. 

"Ye  may  give  him  the  butt  again,  sir,"  said  William, 
"  'tis  only  a  small  fish,  not  over  ten  pounds,  though  he's 
mighty  lively;  he'll  soon  tire  now." 

I  followed  this  advice  and  kept  the  fish  moving,  and 
soon  in  acknowledgment  of  defeat  he  turned  on  his  side 
on  the  water. 

"Good  enough,  he's  done!"  exclaimed  Hiram,  who 
stood  with  gaff  in  hand  on  the  beach  near  me;  "bring 
him  in  this  way,  and  I'll  reach  him." 

Giving  a  slant  to  the  rod  and  lifting  at  the  same 
time,  I  sheered  the  fish  over  toward  the  point  on  the 
beach  where  the  guide  stood.  Nearer  and  nearer  to  the 
shore  it  came,  until  it  was  within  six  feet  of  the  end  of 


316  With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera. 

the  gaff,  when  the  salmon,  perhaps  catching  a  glimpse  of 
his  foe,  or  possibly  touching  a  stone  on  the  bottom  of 
the  pool,  gave  a  sudden  twist  and  jerk,  and  falling  back 
into  the  water,  disappeared  a  free  fish. 

For  an  instant  we  stood  aghast,  and  then  Frere  ex- 
claimed, "How  in  the  name  of  goodness  did  that  fish 
get  away?  I  thought  he  was  safe,  absolutely." 

"He   was    till    the   hook    broke,"    said    William.' 

"I  don't  think  it  broke,"  I  exclaimed,  as  I  reeled  in 
my  line,  "  I  think  it  tore  out  of  the  fish." 

"No,  the  cast  broke  close  to  the  fly,"  said  Hiram, 
who  had  meanwhile  seized  the  line  and  was  examining  it ; 
"no,  thunder!  the  loop  pulled  out  of  the  fly!" 

It  was  even  so;  there  was  the  casting  line  in  per- 
fect condition,  and  at  its  end  was  the  loop  which  had 
been  fastened  to  the  fly. 

"Confound  it  all,"  I  exclaimed,  "why  didn't  I  test 
it  as  I  should  have  done,  before  fishing." 

"Yes,"  you  should  have,"  said  Frere,  "I  find  that 
there  is  almost  as  much  danger  of  a  loop  pulling  out,  un- 
less I  tie  it  myself,  as  there  is  of  a  casting  line  parting." 

"Well,"  said  I,  "it's  a  wonder  I  held  the  salmon  as 
long  as  I  did ;  but  I  should  hardly  have  thought  such 
an  accident  could  have  happened,  for  it  was  a  genuine 
Forrest  fly." 


With    Fly- Rod    and    Camera.  317 

"I  have  known  such  a  thing  to  occur  before,"  he'  re- 
plied, "and  we  can  draw  a  moral  from  the  accident,  and 
that  is  to  never  use  'store  flies'1  if  we  can  help  it." 

"Well,  Mr.  Frere,"  said  Hiram,  "the  fish  is  lost,  and 
we  may  as  well  try  for  another,  and  that  pretty  soon,  for 
there'll  be  more  rain  by  and  by." 

"Very  good,"  replied  Frere,  "we  will  go  down  to 
two  or  three  of  the  pools  below,  and  see  what  our  for- 
tunes will  be  there." 

"You  take  the  canoe  down,  Frere,  with  William," 
said  I,  "and  I  will  put  in  an  hour  or  two  with  the 
trout." 

"All  right,"  he  replied,  and  stepping  into  the  canoe 
with  the  guide,  soon  disappeared  from  our  view  down  the 
river. 

"Hiram,"  said  I,  as  we  took  our  stand  upon  the 
beach  close  to  the  place  where  I  had  hooked  the  sal- 
mon, '  you  take  the  rod  and  fish  awhile,  and  I  will  have 
a  smoke." 

"All  right,"  he  replied,  as  I  handed  him  my  tackle, 
"perhaps  I  will  hook  a  salmon,  there's  plenty  in  it." 

I  took  a  seat  upon  a  rock  on  the  beach  and  watched 
the  guide.  I  have  met  fishermen  who  would  never  per- 
mit their  guides  to  handle  their  rods  for  a  cast ;  and 
have  also  seen  others  who  made  their  guides  do  all  the 


318  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

casting,  contenting  themselves  with  playing  the  fish  that 
their  men  had  hooked  for  them.  Neither  of  these  classes 
have  the  right  spirit  of  the  true  sportsman. 

It  is  pretty  dull  music  for  the  intelligent  guide  to 
watch  the  angler  all  day  long,  and  day  after  day  at  that, 
cast  and  hook  and  play  the  salmon,  without  being  allowed 
to  even  participate  in  the  sport  further  than  to  gaff  the 
fish,  and  I  hold  it  is  selfish  in  the  employer  to  begrudge 
the  man  a  chance  now  and  then  to  do  a  little  of  the 
fishing;  that  is,  if  the  guide  is  an  expert,  which  most 
guides  are.  The  sportsman  who  makes  the  guide  do 
all  the  casting  and  hooking  the  fish  for  the  employer  to 
play  is  a  lazy  man,  and  a  poor  angler.  It  is  something 
to  rise  a  salmon  and  hook  him  neatly  and  artistically, 
something  that  every  one  cannot  do,  and  it  is  asking  and 
expecting  a  good  deal  from  human  nature  to  require  the 
guide  to  relinquish  the  rod  to  another  man  to  play  the 
fish  which  he  had  not  the  patience  or  skill  to  hook. 

Hiram  was  an  expert  with  the  rod,  and  it  afforded 
me  great  pleasure  to  see  him  cover  .the  pool,  placing  his 
fly  as  lightly  as  the  fall  of  a  feather  wherever  he  wished. 
After  a  short  time  he  ceased  casting  and  said,  as  he  re- 
moved the  fly  from  my  leader,  and  handed  it  to  me, 
"The  water  is  growing  darker  every  minute  from  the 
heavy  rain  there  has  been  up  the  river,  and  in  a  deep 


320  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

pool    like    this,    when    the    water    is    colored,    a    larger    and 
brighter    fly    is    the    thing." 

I   gave   him    his   choice    from    my  book,   and    selecting 
an    elegant    Popham    he    attached    it    to    the    casting   line. 

Right  here  I  want  to  say  to  every  salmon  fisherman, 
that  in  every  twelve  flies  always  have  one  Popham,  and 
if  you  follow  my  advice  you  will  vary  the  other  eleven 
about  as  follows :  Three  of  the  silver  doctors  (two-  sizes), 
two  of  the  Jock  Scott,  one  butcher,  one  Durham  ranger, 
one  royal  coachman,  two  of  the  fairy  (two  colors),  one 
black  dose.  This  variety  will  meet  the  requirements  of 
all  conditions  of  light  and  water,  and  they  are  among  the 
most  killing  flies  to  be  had.  Of  course,  a  selection  of 
hackles  and  other  trout  flies  is  essential.  A  single  dozen 
will  last  only  a  short  time,  but  the  dozens  taken  on  an 
outing  should,  in  my  opinion,  contain  about  the  variety 
I  have  named. 

Hiram  went  to  the  head  of  the  pool  and  began  cast- 
ing, and  keeping  back  from  the  water,  with  a  long  line, 
worked  down  the  stream,  covering  thoroughly  every  foot 
of  the  water  with  his  fly.  How  neatly  he  dropped  the 
fly  here  and  there  upon  the  surface  of  the  pool ;  it  was 
a  pleasure  to  see  the  performance,  even  if  it  did  not  rise 
a  fish.  At  length  the  fly  fell  upon  the  identical  spot 
where  I  hooked  my  fish  a  half  hour  before,  when  like 


H^ith    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  321 

a  phantom   I   saw  a  grayish  form  arise  to  the  surface,  and 
in    an    instant    a   salmon   was    hooked. 

"I  thought  one  would  come  up  there,"  said  Hiram, 
reeling  in  the  line  and  preparing  for  the  contest,  "it's  the 
spot  where  they  all  lie." 

The  fish  went  to  the  bottom  for  a  moment,  evidently 
not  feeling  any  inconvenience  or  pain  from  the  hook,  but 
the  instant  that  the  strain  of  the  rod  was  put  upon  the 
line,  the  reel  gave  a  shriek  and  the  fish  darted  down  the 
pool,  showing  itself  in  the  air  two  or  three  times  in  quick 
succession. 

"Here,  sir,  take  the  rod,"  exclaimed  the  guide,  as  he 
stepped  to  my  side  and  offered  me  the  tackle,  "the  fish 
is  small,  but  very  lively." 

"Keep  the  rod,  Hiram,"  I  said,  "and  I  will  watch 
you  kill  this  fish." 

I  confess  that  my  fingers  fairly  ached  to  take  the  rod 
from  the  guide  and  kill  the  salmon  myself,  but  I  con- 
quered the  desire,  although  I  am  free  to  say  that  I  have 
not  always  refused  such  an  unselfish  offer. 

The  salmon  was  a  short,  thick,  broad  fish,  and  from 
the  shape  evidently  a  female,  and  of  about  ten  pounds' 
weight.  Turning  back  into  the  deep  water,  after  taking 
out  fifty  or  sixty  yards  of  line,  she  settled  to  the  bottom, 
and  began  jiggering  right  earnestly  to  release  herself  from 


322  With    Fly- Rod   and    Camera. 

the   barbed   steel.       Hiram    at    once    put    a   strain    on    my 
split-bamboo    that    I    did    not    fancy. 

"Remember,  Hiram,"  I  exclaimed,  "my  rod  isn't  one 
of  those  heavy  greenhearts  that  you  are  used  to." 

"No  trouble,"  he  answered,-  still  lifting  severely,  "the 
salmon's  jiggering  and  boring,  and  I  want  to  get  her  head 
out  o'  that ;  the  rod's  good  for  her  any  day." 

The  fish  soon  yielded  to  the  strain,  and,  coming  to 
the  surface,  began  to  circle  about  in  a  confused  way. 

"She's    most    done,    already,"    I    exclaimed. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  guide,  "the  females,  as  a  gineral 
thing,  haven't  got  the  fight  in  them  that  the  males  have; 
they  give  up  quicker." 

Another  fierce  rush  down  the  pool,  followed  by  two 
or  three  leaps,  however,  showed  that  she  was  still  dis- 
posed to  continue  the  contest,  but  her  strength  was  not 
sufficient  to  cope  with  the  lift  of  the  pliant  but  persist- 
ent rod.  Shorter  grew  her  struggles,  nearer  and  nearer 
she  drew  as  the  reel  wound  in  the  line,  and  soon  she 
lay  upon  her  side  in  mute  defeat.  Handing  me  the  rod 
Hiram  took  the  gaff,  and  as  I  stepped  upon  the  beach, 
drawing  the  salmon  after  me,  with  a  quick  dart  the  gaff 
lifted  her  from  the  river,  and  she  was  conquered. 

"'Tis  a  purty  fish,  and  a  fresh  run,"  said  Hiram, 
lifting  the  silvery  beauty  from  the  beach. 


ffiith    Fly-Rod    and    Camera.  323 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "and  she  was  landed  in  good  style, 
too." 

"Middlin",  sir,  middlin',"  he  answered,  laying  the  fish 
upon  some  brakes  and  leaves,  "and  now  what  shall  we 
do?" 

"We'll  rest  the  pool  for  a  few  minutes,"  I  replied, 
"and  then  I'll  try  for  a  few  sea  trout." 

After  a  few  minutes'  pause  I  changed  my  fly  for  a 
large  gray  hackle,  and  then  taking  my  stand  on  the  beach 
began  casting.  Across  the  pool,  hovering  over  a  patch 
of  sandy  bottom,  was  a  bunch  of  sea  trout,  and  dropping 
my  fly  above  them,  I  was  soon  fast  to  a  handsome  fish 
of  good  two  pounds'  weight.  After  a  short  play  it  was 
landed,  and  in  a  few  moments  another  and  another  of 
equal  size  were  brought  to  the  landing  net. 

"That's  a  pretty  trio,  Hiram,"  I  said,  as  he  killed  the 
last  of  the  three  and  laid  them  side  by  side. 

"Yes,  sir,"  added  the  guide,  "many's  the  man  would 
go  far  to  take  them  in  a  whole  day." 

"You're  right,"  I  replied,  removing  my  hackle  and  af- 
fixing to  my  line  a  silver  doctor,  "and  now  for  a  salmon!" 

As  I  spoke  I  made  a  careless  throw  into  the  old  spot, 
without  the  expectation  of  getting  a  rise  after  all  the  dis- 
turbance that  had  been  made  in  the  pool ;  but  who  can 
say  what  the  caprice  of  the  scaly  beauties  will  be ;  hardly 


324  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

had    my    fly    touched    the    water    when    it    was    seized    and 

borne    to    the   bottom. 

"Ah,    ha,"   exclaimed    the    guide,    "that's    quick    work." 
Reeling   in.   and   securing   a  taut  line,    I    lifted   on   the 

o  *_> 

rod.  For  a  second  or  two  the  fish  seemed  undecided, 
but  it  was  only  for  that  length  of  time,  for  giving  a  half 
dozen  jumps  in  as  man)'  directions,  it  started  up  the  pool 
with  a  rush. 

"It's  nothing  but  a  grilse,"  I  exclaimed,  giving  it  the 
butt;  "we'll  not  waste  any  time  unnecessarily  on  him." 

The  grilse  is  a  lively  fellow,  but  easily  conquered. 
When  first  hooked  he  is  apparently  all  over  the  pool  at 
once,  darting  and  leaping  in  all  directions,  but,  if  the  line 
does  not  foul,  and  the  fish  is  watched  and  not  handled 
too  roughly  —  for  its  mouth  is  very  tender  and  the  hook 
often  tears  out — he  is  soon  conquered  on  a  salmon  rod. 
I  have  often  thought  it  would  be  great  sport  playing  one 
on  a  light  rod,  but  have  never  had  the  opportunity  of 
trying  it. 

In  a  few  minutes  my  grilse  was  in  the  landing  net, 
and  soon  it  was  laid  by  the  side  of  the  rest  of  our  fish. 
At  that  moment  the  canoe  appeared  in  sight,  ascending 
the  quick  water  at  the  foot  of  the  pool ;  and  as  he  passed 
the  crown  of  the  rapids,  William  held  up  a  single  finger 
as  a  signal  that  one  salmon  had  been  taken. 


326  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

"  It's  a  nice  fish,  Frere,"  I  said,  as  the  canoe  touched 
the  beach;  " what's  the  weight?" 

"Thirteen  pounds,"  he  replied.  "What  luck  have  you 
had?" 

I  pointed  to  the  glittering  prizes  on  the  brakes  and 
ferns. 

"Good,  good!"  exclaimed  my  friend,  with  the  fervor 
of  the  true  sportsman.  "  I  am  glad  you  had  such  fine 
sport." 

"Thanks,"  I  replied,  "but  I  do  not  claim  all;  Hiram 
killed  the  salmon." 

"It's  a  pretty  catch,  anyway,"  said  William,  "but  we 
had  better  be  getting  to  camp,  it's  going  to  pour." 

Hurrying  into  the  canoe  we  sped  to  the  upper  pool, 
and  barely  reached  the  shelter  of  the  canvas,  ere  the 
downpour  began.  I  do  not  remember  of  ever  seeing  a 
heavier  storm ;  it  was  simply  terrific.  While  the  tempest 
was  raging  we  kept  snugly  ensconced  in  the  tent.  Frere 
occupied  the  time  in  tying  flies,  while  I  with  a  cigar  and  a 
novel  had  no  difficulty  in  entertaining  myself.  The  guides 
seated  near  Frere  watched  with  keen  interest  his  manipu- 
lations of  the  floss  and  feathers  and  tinsel  which  he  used 
in  the  manufacture  of  his  winged  lures. 

"That'll  be  a  neat  fly  in  the  water,  and  a  killing 
one,  too,"  said  William,  as  he  took  a  fly  that  Frere  had 


IVith    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  327 

finished,  -and  examined  it.  "  I  don't  know  why,  but  any 
fly  that  has  in  it  jungle  cock  and  golden  pheasant  feath- 
ers is  sure  to  take." 

"Yes,"  replied  Frere,  "there  seems  to  be  something 
peculiarly  attractive  in  the  jungle  cock  hackle;  and  almost 
any  combination  of  it  with  the  feathers  of  the  ruff  and 
crest  of  the  pheasant  is  successful." 

"Always  remembering,  however,"  1  exclaimed,  "that 
a  good  deal  depends  on  the  man  who  offers  it  to  the 
fish." 

"Of  course,"  he  replied,  "the  best  fly,  if  cast  by  a 
novice,  is  generally  no  better  than  the  poorest." 

"It's  not  the  nice  flies,  only,  that  kill,  though,"  said 
Hiram,  "I've  seen  many  a  salmon  taken  with  a  few  feath- 
ers picked  up  in  a  barnyard  and  tied  to  a  hook  in  a  loose 
way." 

"Yes,"  added  William,  "and  with  only  a  bush  pole,* 
too,  hey,  Hiram?" 

"How  was  that?"  I  asked,  "I  don't  see  how  the  fish 
could  be  played  on  such  a  rod." 

"Oh,  the  country  boy  does  not  play  his  salmon,"  said 
Frere;  "as  soon  as  the  fish  is  hooked  the  boy  throws 
his  pole  into  the  water,  and  lets  the  fish  do  its  own  play- 
ing." 

*  Sapling   rod. 


328  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

"Oh,  I  see,"  I  answered,  "and  the  pole  always  hangs 
to  him." 

"Yes,"  said  Hiram,  "and  it's  surprising  how  soon  the 
salmon  is  done  for;  it  keeps  him  moving,  but  acts  like 
a  clog  to  a  bear  trap ;  it  holds  the  fish  just  enough  to 
bother  it  and  wear  it  out." 

"And  it's  not  often  the  salmon  gets  away,  either," 
added  William. 

"With  such  a  sure  method  of  taking  a  fish,"  I  said, 
"your  country  people  ought  to  be  satisfied;  it's  a  fair 
kind  of  fishing,  but  using  the  spear  and  net  is  murder- 
ous." 

"That's  so,"  exclaimed  Hiram,  "and  no  one  would 
begrudge  them  a  few  fish  taken  this  way,  either.  I've 
caught  them  so  myself." 

"Speaking  of  rough  flies  being  successful,"  I  said, 
after  a  short  pause,  "  I  shall  never  forget  how  we  took 
the  sea  trout  two  years  ago,  Hiram." 

"How   was    that?"     inquired    Frere. 

"With  a  piece  of  squirrel  skin  tied  on  a  bait  hook," 
I  answered.  "We  were  up  to  Kettle  Hole  Pool  on  the 
Jacquet,  and  found  it  packed  full  of  sea  trout;  but  they 
paid  no  more  attention  to  my  flies  and  I  offered  them 
some  nice  ones,  too—  than  they  would  to  so  many  sticks; 
we  tried  everything,  but  they  would  not  stir.  At  length 


330  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

Hiram  took  out  of  his  pocket  the  skin  of  a  flying  squir- 
rel, and  cutting  off  a  piece  covered  with  gray  and  white 
hair,  he  fastened  it  to  my  hook.  It  was  my  first  ex- 
perience with  such  a  bait,  but  I  cast,  and  on  the  instant 
hooked  a  big  fish.  We  had  a  lively  time  of  it  for  an 
hour  or  two,  in  fact  Hiram  had  all  the  weight  of  fish 
he  wanted  to  carry  out,  over  the  five  miles  of  rough 
road  through  the  woods,  up  hill  and  down,  that  we  had 
to  travel." 

"Yes,"  said  Hiram,  "'twas  a  good  catch,  and  I  was 
glad  to  get  it,  for  it's  discouraging  to  take  such  a  long 
tramp  for  nothing." 

"The  Jacquet  is  a  fine  trout  river,"  said  William, 
after  a  short  pause. 

"Yes,  and  for  salmon,  too,"  I  added,  "they  are  not 
as  big  as  the  Restigouche  or  Cascapedia  salmon,  but  they 
are  nice  fish,  and  it's  a  beautiful  stream." 

"Tell  me  about  it,"  said  Frere,  "I  have  often  de- 
sired to  fish  it,  but  was  not  acquainted  with  either  of 
the  lessees." 

"  I  wish  I  had  known  it,"  I  replied,  "  I  had  an  in- 
terest in  it  for  five  years,  but  it  is  now  owned  by  a 
party  who  is  very  close  of  it.  Fortunately  there  are  a 
few  free  pools  on  it  still." 

"Yes,"    I    continued,    lighting   a   fresh    cigar,    "I    have 


332  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

had  many  an  enjoyable  outing  on  the  Jacquet.  On  ar- 
riving in  the  cars  I  go  at  once  to  Barclay's  Hotel,  and 
make  that  house  my  headquarters.  It  is  near  the  sta- 
tion, and  only  about  half  a  mile  from  the  mouth  of  the 
river.  It  is  a  snug,  cozy  little  house,  and  its  location 
on  the  southern  shore  of  the  beautiful  Baie  des  Chaleurs 
is  delightful.  Many,  many  happy  days  have  I  spent  be- 
neath its  hospitable  roof.  Its  proprietor  knows  how  to 
entertain  the  tired  and  hungry,  for  he  provides  as  good 
a  table  as  one  can  wish  to  see,  and  the  service  is  first- 
class  in  every  way.  At  Barclay's  the  sea  bathing  is  un- 
surpassed, the  house  standing  but  a  few  rods  from  the 
shore.  The  beach  extends  for  miles,  and  along  it  are 
to  be  found  scenic  beauties  that  would  delight  the  eye 
of  the  artist. 

"The  best  way  to  get  to 'the  river  is  to  drive  from 
Barclays  to  the  farms  of  the  Millers  at  Sunnyside.  They 
are  splendid  guides  and  canoemen,  and  know  every  inch 
of  the  river.  They  are  employed  by  the  lessee  of  the 
river  as  guardians,  and  therefore  know  which  pools  are 
free  and  which  are  covered  by  lease.  Engage  the  Millers 
to  carry  you  in  their  canoe  down  the  twelve  or  thirteen 
miles  of  the  river  from  their  farms  to  the  mouth,  and 
let  you  fish  such  pools  as  you  can  without  infringing  on 
the  rights  of  the  lessee. 


334  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

"Close  to  their  house  is  the  Big-  Hole  Brook  Pool, 
and  here  you  will  take  the  canoe  on  your  trip  down  the 
river.  It  is  a  large  basin,  and  there  is  almost  always  a 
salmon  or  two  lying  in  it.  Just  below  that  pool  is  the 
Long  Pool,  and  you  slide  down  to  it  through  the  rapids 
in  a  few  seconds.  This  is  a  magnificent  pool,  one  of 
the  best  on  the  river.  I  counted  over  forty  salmon  in 
it  on  one  occasion,  and  have  killed  a  good  many  fish  in 
it  first  and  last.  It  is  one  of  the  easiest  fished  pools 
on  the  river,  a  beach  on  one  shore  giving  the  angler 
fine  casting  stands,  from  which  he  may  cover  the  entire 
basin. 

"  Below  this  are  a  number  of  beautiful  pools,  the  best 
of  which  are  the  Upper  and  Lower  Horse  Shoe  pools, 
the  Jarvis  Pool,  Ward's  Pool,  Rock  Pool,  Franker's  (or 
Francois)  Pool,  the  White  Rapids,  Hell  Gate,  Red  Cliff 
and  Windmill  Rock  pools,  and  Flat  Rock  Pool.  Some 
of  these  are  free,  and  you  will  find  the  run  down  the 
river  delightful  even  if  you  do  not  fish,  for  the  scenery 
the  whole  length  is  picturesque  and  beautiful. 

"Jarvis  Pool  is  one  of  the  finest  on  the  river.  I  do 
not  remember  the  time  I  have  cast  in  it  when  I  did  not 
get  fast  to  a  salmon.  It  seems  a  favorite  also  with  large 
sea  trout,  and  many  is  the  time  my  tent  has  been  pitched 
on  its  shores.  It  is  picturesque  in  its  surroundings,  and 


IVith    Fly-Rod   and    Camera.  335 

is  a  delightful  spot  for  either  an  artist  or  fisherman  to 
visit. 

"But,  Hiram,"  I  exclaimed,  "the  storm  is  gone  by, 
and  the  sky  is  brightening !  Come,  it's  past  one  o'clock, 
and  I'm  famished;  let's  have  dinner." 

It  did  not  take  the  experienced  guides  long  to  start 
a  rousing  fire,  and  in  a  very  few  minutes  the  prepara- 
tions for  dinner  were  in  full  operation. 

The  clouds  were  opening  and  drifting  away  toward 
the  east,  and  the  rays  of  the  sun  ever  and  anon  poured 
down  upon  us.  The  prospect  was  good  for  fair  weather, 

and  as  the  rain   had  very  perceptibly  raised  and  darkened 
> 

the    river,    we    felt    sure    of   good    sport. 

With  more  than  sportsmen's  appetites  we  attacked  the 
dinner  that  the  guides  served  for  us.  It  was  abundant 
in  variety  and  quantity,  and  we  did  full  justice  to  it. 

After  dinner  had  been  disposed  of,  Frere  and  Wil- 
liam started  for  some  of  the  pools  above  our  camp,  while 
Hiram  and  I  busied  ourselves  in  drying  our  wet  clothes, 
airing  the  blankets  by  spreading  them  on  low  bushes,  and 
in  tidying  the  camp  generally. 

After  this  was  done,  I  took  a  stroll  into  the  woods 
a  short  distance,  where,  finding  a  tempting  nook,  I  spread 
my  rubber  blanket  on  the  ground,  and,  lying  upon  it,  in- 
dulged in  a  delightful  rest. 


336  With    Fly-Rod    ami    Camera. 

It  was  a  beautiful  afternoon,  a  soft,  delicious  breeze 
was  blowing  from  the  southwest,  bringing  from  the  for- 
ests the  delicate  odor  which  always  follows  a  rain  in  the 
woods.  The  clouds,  which  had  broken  into  small  patches 
of  gray  and  gold  and  crimson,  floated  lazily  across  the 
valley.  No  sound  was  heard  save  the  rustling  of  the  foli- 
age, the  gurgle  and  rattle  of  the  water  in  the  rapids,  and 
the  occasional  song  of  some  feathered  denizen  of  the  for- 
est, or  the  querulous  chatter  of  the  squirrel.  I  love  such 
surroundings  —  I  adore  the  woods  and  the  grand  old  hills. 
I  had  passed  an  hour  or  more  in  the  seclusion  of  my 
quiet  nook,  when  I  was  startled  by  a  shout  from  Hiram, 
whom  I  had  left  at  camp.  Hurrying  out  of  the  woods, 
I  found  him  standing  on  the  beach  near  the  head  of  the 
pool. 

"Come  here,  sir,"  he  said,  "and  I  will  show  you  a 
pretty  sight." 

"What    is    it?"    I    asked,    as    I    approached    him. 

"Come    easy,"    he    said,    "and    look." 

Cautiously  drawing  near,  and  examining  the  water 
carefully,  I  descried  the  objects  that  had  attracted  his  at- 
tention. Three  salmon  were  lying  in  the  edge  of  the 
eddy  below  the  rapids,  two  of  them  small  fish,  each,  per- 
haps, of  about  eight  pounds'  weight.  The  others  were 
considerably  larger.  Side  by  side  they  lay,  and,  save  an 


338  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

occasional   flirt   of  the   tail,   and  the  regular  motion   of  the 

o 

gills,    they   were    almost    motionless. 

"  I  think  we'll  get  one  of  those  chaps  soon,"  said 
Hiram,  as  he  retreated  from  the  pool. 

"  We'll  wait  a  while,  for  they've  seen  us ;  but  by  wad- 
ing into  the  rapids  above,  and  making  a  long  cast  down 
over  them,  we'll  lift  one,  sure." 

"They  must  have  run  in  since  morning,"  I  replied, 
taking  my  rod  from  its  supports,  and  examining  my  cast- 
ing line  and  fly.  "  I  cast  all  over  the  pool  before  din- 
ner and  saw  nothing." 

"Yes,  they  may  have  come  up  from  the  pool  below 
us,"  said  Hiram.  "'Tis  but  a  few  rods,  and  they  may 
have  run  up  when  we  went  over  the  pool  with  the  canoe, 
after  killing  the  other  fish." 

After  my  casting  line  had  had  a  few  minutes'  soak- 
ing, I  removed  my  old  fly,  and  put  on  a  good-sized  Dur- 
ham ranger  that  had  never  been  wet.  Wading  into  the 
river  above  the  rapids,  and  keeping  out  of  sight  of  the 
fish,  I  began  casting  across  the  river,  lengthening  my  line 
at  every  cast,  until  I  had  enough  out  to  enable  me  to 
reach  the  spot  where  the  salmon  were  lying.  Then,  with 
a  long  reach,  I  softly  put  my  fly,  as  nearly  as  I  could 
judge,  upon  the  right  spot ;  and  that  I  had  calculated  cor- 
rectly was  shown  by  an  exclamation  from  Hiram,  and  the 


.  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera.  339 

swirl  of  one  of  the  fish  that  rose  and  just  missed  the  lure. 
I  drew  in  my  line  for  a  minute  or  two,  for  a  salmon 
will  not  often  rise  immediately  a  second  time,  although 
it  sometimes  does. 

I  have  time  and  again  watched  them  when  rising  to 
another's  fly,  and  if  they  miss  they  settle  back  into  their 
resting  place,  and  if  the  fly  then  immediately  passed  over 
them,  they  paid  no  attention  to  it. 

Of  course,  there  are  exceptions  to  every  rule,  but  I 
am  speaking  of  the  general  habit  of  the  fish.  It  is,  there- 
fore, well  to  wait  a  short  time  after  a  salmon  has  been 
lifted  before  casting  for  it  again,  although  the  long  rest 
that  some  writers  advocate  is  generally  unnecessary. 

Of  course,  a  great  deal  depends  on  the  depth  and 
force  of  the  water ;  a  salmon  rising  from  a  deep  pool, 
in  a  strong  river,  requiring  more  of  a  rest  than  one  in 
shoaler  water.  The  vagaries  and  caprices  of  the  fish  are 
such  that  the  angler  has  to  use  his  own  judgment  in  every 
instance. 

I  gave  my  fish  five  minutes'  rest,  and  then  running 
out  the  line  in  the  air  until  the  ripiit  length  was  out,  I 

O  c_> 

dropped  the  fly  in  the  eddy  where  the  fish  rose,  and,  al- 
lowing it  to  sink  two  or  three  inches,  gave  it  a  drag  in 
short  jerks  across  the  current.  In  an  instant  I  saw  a 
grayish  form  arise  from  the  depths,  and  simultaneously 


34-Q  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. . 

with  its  seizing  the  fly  I  struck.  "Whir-r-r"  went  the 
reel,  as  the  salmon  settled  in  the  middle  of  the  pool,  and 
I  quickly  left  my  position  in  the  rushing  waters  above 
the  rapids  for  a '  more  secure  footing  on  the  beach. 

The  pool  was  a  glorious  one  in  which  to  fight  a  sal- 
mon. It  was  broad  and  deep,  and  free  from  driftwood 
and  those  other  obstructions  which  the  angler  dreads.  It 

o 

was  a  pool  that  gave  "a  fair  field  and  no  favor,"  and 
the  salmon  that  could  effect  his  escape  in  it  deserved  his 
freedom.  My  fish  for  a  few  seconds  remained  motionless 
at  the  bottom  of  the  pool ;  but  when  the  tension  of  the 
line  was  put  upon  it,  it  gave  three  or  four  angry  shakes 
of  the  head,  and  a  short  run,  and  then,  instead  of  dart- 
ing about  and  leaping,  after  the  usual  manner  of  its  kind, 
it  began  to  root  and  thrust  its  nose  among  the  rocks  in 
the  most  pig-like  manner. 

"Ah,  ha!"  exclaimed  Hiram,  "that  chap  has  been 
hooked  before  this  year ;  he's  up  to  a  dodge  or  two ! " 

I  was  determined  that  the  salmon  should  not  carry 
on  this  system  of  tactics  if  I  could  prevent  it,  and,  there- 
fore, reeling  in  the  line  all  I  could,  I  began  to  advance 
the  butt  of  the  rod,  lifting  all  that  the  casting  line  would 
bear.  The  fish,  feeling  the  increased  strain,  bore  down 
heavier  and  heavier,  until  it  seemed  to  be  actually  stand- 
ing on  its  head  on  the  bottom  of  the  river.  My  rod, 


342  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

strong  as  it  was,  could  not  overcome  the  resistance,  and 
for  at  least  five  minutes  we  remained  in  that  position,  the 
salmon  jiggering  to  its  heart's  delight,  and  I  trying  to 
bring  it  to  the  surface.  At  length,  with  a  mighty  rush, 
the  fish  changed  its  plan  of  action,  and  began  a  series 
of  runs  and  leaps  that  caused  my  heart  to  throb  and  my 
nerves  to  tingle.  The  salmon  seemed  to  be  all  over  the 
pool  at  once,  and  moving  with  the  speed  of  electricity. 
Leaping  into  the  air  within  ten  yards  of  my  standing 
place,  it  seemed  hardly  to  have  struck  the  water  before 
it  was  again  in  the  air  away  down  the  pool  one  hundred 
yards  distant.  Then,  before  I  could  recover  half  of  my 
line,  working  as  rapidly  as  possible,  the  fish  was  "jump- 
ing three  ways  at  once,"  as  Hiram  afterward  said  in  de- 
scribing it,  at  the  head  of  the  pool  just  below  the  falls. 
Hardly  could  I  pack  upon  the  reel  twenty  yards  of  line, 
before  "whi-z-z-z!"  out  went  thirty  more,  and  I  began  to 
watch  with  apprehension  the  scant  supply  left  upon  the 
barrel  of  the  reel. 

"It's  a  lively  fish,  altogether,"  exclaimed  the  guide; 
"it  jumps  like  a  grilse.  I  think  it  must  be  hooked  foul 
to  show  such  endurance." 

"  No,  it's  hooked  all  right,"  I  replied,  getting  in  a 
word  here  and  there,  as  I  worked  with  all  possible  speed 
at  the  reel,  "but  it's  one  of  the  pluckiest  fighters  I  ever 


IVith    Fly-Rod   and    Camera.  343 

struck.  Get  the  canoe  ready,"  I  exclaimed  a  moment 
later,  "if  the  fish  goes  down  the  rapids  we  must  follow 
it  instantly." 

Hiram  soon  had  the  birch  by  my  side  and  held  it 
ready  for  me.  to  step  into,  if  necessary.  But  now  the 
salmon  quieted  down  and  settled  into  the  pool  away  over 
on  the  other  side.  I  lost  no  time  in  packing  the  line 
again  on  the  reel  as  evenly  and  solidly  as  possible.  It 
was  now  apparent  that  the  fish  was  tired  and  was  will- 
ing to  take  a  rest ;  but  that  was  something  I  did  not 
propose  to  give  it,  and  as  soon  as  possible  I  gave  it  the 
full  strain  of  the  rod.  "Whir-r"  went  the  reel  again  in 
a  wild  scream,  as  the  salmon  started  down  the  pool  full 
speed  for  the  rapids. 

"Jump  into  the  canoe,  quick!"  shouted  Hiram;  "the 
salmon  will  take  down  the  rapids ! " 

Into  the  canoe  I  scrambled  as  quickly  as  I  could, 
and  hardly  was  I  in  before  the  guide,  with  a  mighty 
push,  sent  the  birch  spinning  down  the  pool  toward  the 
quick  water  below.  The  salmon  had  taken  out  all  of 
seventy-five  yards  of  line  before  we  started,  and  was  go- 
ing at  a  fearful  speed  down  to  the  lower  pool,  and  it 
was  only  by  the  most  herculean  effort  that  Hiram  could 
speed  the  canoe  through  the  rough  water  fast  enough  to 
reach  the  pool,  to  which  we  were  rushing,  before  the  line 


344  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

was  exhausted.  In  fact,  when  we  reached  the  still  water 
where  the  salmon  had  settled,  there  were  hardly  a  dozen 
yards  left  of  my  good  one  hundred  and  fifty  on  the  reel. 
Jumping  out  of  the  canoe  as  soon  as  she  touched  the 
beach,  I  began  taking  in  the  line  as  fast  as  I  could,  but 
it  seemed  an  age  before  I  had  it  again  on  the  spool. 
The  moment  I  got  my  line  shortened  I  gave  the  fish 
the  butt,  for  my  blood  was  up,  and  there  was  to"  be  no 
trifling.  Gracious !  how  the  fish  responded.  Giving  three 
leaps  inside  a  radius  of  ten  yards,  it  seemed  as  fresh  as 
ever. 

"Upon  my  word,"  I  exclaimed,  "it  is  certainly  a  hard 
nut." 

"Indeed  it  is,"  replied  Hiram.  "It's  another  male 
fish,  and  a  dandy  to  fight." 

After  an  additional  half  dozen  leaps  and  rushes  the 
salmon  settled  down  into  the  pool  again,  and,  apparently, 
from  the  vibration  of  the  line,  adopted  its  original  tactics 
of  trying  to  rub  out  the  hook,  although  we  could  not 
see  it  in  the  deep  water  where  it  was  now  lying.  I 
began  to  be  nervous.  The  hard  usage  my  tackle  had 
received  in  the  half  hour's  fight  must  have  weakened  it, 
and  I  now  be^an  to  fear  that  at  the  last  moment  the 

o 

cast  would  part  or  something  else  give  way  and  my  fish 
would  depart.  "Go  out  with  the  canoe,  Hiram,"  I  ex- 


With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera.  345 

claimed,  "and  stir  him  up.  We  must  keep  him  moving 
now  or  he  is  lost." 

The  guide  took  the  canoe  out  over  the  salmon,  and, 
thrusting  the  setting  pole  down  its  full  length,  moved  it 
about  so  as  to  startle  the  fish.  And  startle  it  he  did  most 
emphatically;  for,  with  a  frantic  rush,  it  darted  up  the 
pool  and  into  the  rapids  above.  How  the  reel  screamed 
as  the  line  ran  out !  I  started  up  the  beach  on  a  run, 
giving  the  fish  the  butt,  and  holding  my  thumb  on  the 
reel  all  I  dared,  but  to  no  avail.  I  could  not  seem  to 
hold  or  check  the  speed  of  the  salmon  at  all,  and  I  was 
about  to  give  up  in  despair,  when,  just  as  the  line  was 
nearly  exhausted,  I  felt  a  cessation  of  the  strain,  the  rod 
straightened  and  the  line  fell  back  with  a  loose  sag. 

"He's  gone,  Hiram!"  I  ..exclaimed  in  disgust,  drop- 
ping the  butt  of  the  rod;  "he's  got  away!" 

"Reel  in,  quick!"  shouted  the  guide,  excitedly;  "he's 
still  on,  but  played  out!  Reel  in  as  fast  as  you  can!" 

I  never  took  in  a  line  before  as  rapidly  as  I  did 
that  one.  At  the  same  time  I  began  retreating  down  the 
beach  as  fast  as  I  could  move,  and  I  soon  found  that 
Hiram  was  right.  The  fish,  just  before  surmounting  the 
crown  of  the  rapids,  had  found  the  current  and  the  strain 
of  my  rod  too  much  to  overcome  at  that  late  period  of 
the  fight.  I  reeled  in  the  line  as  the  salmon  came  down 


346  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

the  stream,  and  when  it  passed  back  into  the  pool  it 
plainly  showed  that  the  fight  was  over.  With  a  steady 
strain  on  the  rod  I  prevented  the  fish  from  getting  its 
head  down,  and  in  a  very  short  time  it  turned  on  its 
side  and  permitted  me  to  draw  it  to  the  shore,  where 
the  gaff  soon  gave  the  finish  to  the  struggle. 

"'Tis  a  nice  fish,  altogether,"  said  the  guide,  laying 
the  salmon  upon  the  pebbles;  "not  so  very  large,  but 
deep  and  strong." 

"Yes,  he  was  strong  enough,  and  a  good  fighter,"  I 
replied,  as  I  wiped  the  perspiration  from  my  face;  "I'm 
about  as  played  out  as  the  fish  was." 

"'Tis  a  nice  fish,  altogether!"  repeated  Hiram,  as  he 
adjusted  the  scales  to  ascertain  the  weight  of  the  fish.  "A 
little  over  fifteen  pounds,"  he  said  in  a  few  moments.  "It 
did  not  give  up  much  too  soon,  for  see,  the  casting  line 
barely  holds  together  ! " 

I  examined  the  line,  and  found  that  the  salmon  had 
so  chafed  it  near  the  fly  against  the  stones  in  the  river, 
that  it  had  almost  parted,  and  the  wonder  was  it  held  as 
long  as  it  did. 

"Jupiter!"  I  exclaimed,  "that  was  a  narrow  shave; 
well,  we'll  go  up  to  camp  and  lay  off,  I've  had  enough 
for  to-day." 

Hiram  put  the  fish   into  the  canoe,  and  poled  up  the 


348  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

rapids,   and   soon   we   were   on   the    beach    in    front    of    our 
tent. 

The  afternoon  was  now  drawing  to  a  close,  and  the 
guide  soon  began  to  busy  himself  in  getting  ready  a  pile 
of  fire  wood  for  the  night,  and  in  preparing  supper. 

Having  nothing  better  to  do,  I  poled  the  canoe  across 
the  pool  and  picked  raspberries,  while  I  waited  for  Frere 
and  William,  whom  I  expected  would  soon  return",  and  I 
did  not  have  long  to  wait,  for  their  forms  soon  appeared 
through  the  bushes  and  trees  which  skirted  the  carry  road 
that  followed  the  banks  of  the  river  up  into  the  moun- 
tains for  miles. 

"A  handsome  string  of  sea  trout,"  I  exclaimed,  as 
William  deposited  his  load  in  the  canoe  with  a  sigh  of 
relief. 

Thirty-five  beauties  they  were,  all  but  two  or  three 
of  them  as  silvery 'white  as  if  they  had  just  run  in  from 
the  sea. 

"Yes,    they're    a   handsome    lot,"    replied    Frere. 

"And  there  are  hundreds  as  good  left,"  added  William. 

"Yes,  the  pools  are  full,"  said  Frere,  "and  the  rain 
has  stirred  them  up  so  that  they  will  rise  to  almost  any- 
thing that  offers." 

"W7hat  luck?"  inquired  Hiram,  as  the  canoe  touched 
the  shore  in  front  of  the  camp,  and  we  stepped  out. 


With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera.  349 

"Oh,  they  got  a  beautiful  string  of  sea  trout,  I  ex- 
claimed, but  no  salmon." 

"What  have  you  done?"  asked  Frere.  "I  thought 
you  intended  to  lay  off  this  afternoon." 

"I  did,"  I  replied,  "but  a  salmon  out  in  the  pool 
here  insisted  that  I  should  take  him  in  out  of  the  wet, 
and  of  course  I  could  not  be  so  impolite  as  to  refuse." 

"Certainly  not," 'assented  Frere,  cordially,  "and  did 
you  take  him  in?" 

"He  did  so,"  exclaimed  Hiram,  "and  here's  the  fish," 
lifting  the  salmon  as  he  spoke  from  its  bed  of  brakes  and 
leaves  near  by. 

"A  nice  fish,"  said  Frere;  "and  was  it  in-  this  pool 
that  you  found  it?" 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "I  hooked  him  here,  but  killed  him 
in  the  pool  below." 

"There's  more  left  here,"  said  Hiram,  "we  saw  two 
others,  sure." 

"All  right,"  exclaimed  my  friend,  "we  will  give  them 
a  trial  by  and  by." 

"  But  you  broke  off  your  fly,"  exclaimed  William,  open- 
ing the  mouth  of  the  fish.  "  Why  didn't  you  take  it  out, 
Hiram?  It's  too  good  a  fly  to  waste." 

As  he  spoke  he  removed  from  the  palate  of  the  fish 
a  fly  that  was  fastened  firmly  in  the  tough  skin. 


350  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

"No,    I    lost    no    fly,"    I    replied. 

"Why,  that's  the  fly  I  lost  down  in  one  of  the  pools 
below,"  exclaimed  Frere,  taking  it  in  his  hand  and  ex- 
amining it. 

o 

"Sure  it  is,"  said  William;  "it's  not  often  that  you 
hook  a  salmon  that  quick  again  after  it  has  felt  the  steel 
in  its  mouth." 

And  he  was  right ;  it  is  rarely,  indeed,  that  a  sal- 
mon is  killed  with  a  lost  hook  in  its  mouth,  but  it  oc- 
casionally happens.* 

"Gracious!"  I  exclaimed,  as  we  sat  down  before  the 
spread  that  had  been  laid  for  us,  "you've  enough  for  an 
army,  Hiram." 

"A  small  army,  sir,"  he  replied;  "but  we'll  wait  till 
we  see  what's  left.'' 

Canned  oysters,  stewed ;  broiled  trout,  boiled  trout, 
fried  potatoes,  biscuits  and  butter,  canned  pears,  and  a 
big  dipper  of  tea,  made  a  royal  meal,  and  we  lingered 

*  Genio  C.  Scott  in  his  elegant  work  on  "Fishing  in  American  Waters,"  says: 
"Again  it  is  said,  '  If  you  hook  a  salmon  and  he  parts  your  tackle,  taking  your 
hook  and  a  piece  of  the  gut  snell  to  which  it  was  attached,  he  will  not  rise  to 
an  artificial  fly  again  that  season.'  This  is  also  a  mistake;  for  the  gentleman 
who  owns  the  York  River,  Gaspe,  fished  with  a  friend  who  lost  a  hook  and  part 
of  a  leader  by  a  salmon  one  morning  last  July,  and  on  the  evening  of  that  day 
took  the  salmon  with  the  hook  and  gut  still  in  his  mouth  ;  and,  what  appears  most 
singular,  is  that  he  hooked  the  salmon  with  the  same  kind  of  fly  that  was  then 
fastened  to  the  jaw  of  the  fish." 


352  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

over  it  a  good  half  hour.  There  is  a  limit,  however, 
to  the  eating  capacity  of  a  fisherman  even,  and  we  were 
at  length  obliged  to  exclaim  "enough." 

"Now,  Frere,"  I  said,  as  we  arose  from  the  table, 
and  he  took  his  rod  and  sauntered  over  to  the  rapids 
at  the  head  of  the  pool,  "it's  your  turn  now;  I've  taken 
my  salmon  here,  you  strike  one  now  and  I'll  be  gaffer." 

"All  right,"  he  answered,  "but  I  fear  you'll  •  not  be 
called  upon  to-night." 

"Who  can  tell?"  I  replied.  "Let  us  hope  that  the 
fish  will  bite  as  savagely  as  those  plaguy  punkies  do." 

The  midges  had  begun  their  evening's  work,  and  sav- 
age they  were,  too.  I  have  noticed  that  they  are  always 
sharper  set  after  a  rain  storm  than  at  any.  other  time. 

"Yes,  the  midges  are  savage  enough,"  he  exclaimed, 
rubbing  and  scratching  his  hands  and  wrists  and  face  as 
he  prepared  his  line  for  casting. 

"It's  no  use,"  I  said,  "I  cannot  stand  the  pests  any 
longer;  tar  it  is!"  and  hurrying  to  the  tent  for  the  tar 
bottle  I  smeared  on  the  antidote  pretty  freely. 

Frere   was   gflad   to   avail   himself  also   of  the   tar,   and 

.  o 

it  was  only  after  he  had  covered  all  the  exposed  portions 
of  his  skin  that  he  could  cast  in  peace.  The  sun  had 
sunk  below  the  forest-clad  hills  in  the  west,  and  the  shad- 
ows on  the  pool  were  growing  blacker  and  blacker.  Over- 


With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera.  353 

head  a  few  golden  and  purple  clouds  were  sailing  high  in 
the  heavens,  and  their  forms,  mirrored  on  the  surface  of 
the  pool,  lent  a  color  and  brightness  to  the  picture  which 
was  very  beautiful. 

Frere  stood  on  the  rocks  on  the  lower  edge  of  the 
rapids  and  cast  a  long  line  across  the  stream  into  the 
quick  water  on  the  further  side.  It  was  a  long  cast,  and 
one  that  requires  a  master  hand  to  give  it ;  for  the  quick 
current,  and  then  the  eddy  below,  made  a  sag  in  the  line 
that  was  difficult  to  lift  cleanly  so  that  a  high  back  cast 
—  which  was  necessitated  by  the  pebbles  and  stones  on 
the  beach  behind  —  could  be  secured. 

Frere,  however,  handled  his  line  with  his  usual  skill, 
but  after  making  a  score  of  fruitless  casts,  he  changed 
his  position,  wading  up  into  the  quick  water  above,  so 
that  his  back  cast  might  be  up  the  stream  and  his  line 
could  fall  straight  into  the  eddy. 

"That's  better,"  I  exclaimed,  "I  don't  like  to  fish 
across  a  stream  when  my  line  is  sure  to  drift  into  an 
eddy." 

"Nor  I,"  he  replied,  putting  out  a  line  that  reached 
all  over  the  best  of  the  pool,  "it  is  difficult  to  strike  a 
fish  under  such  conditions,  or  if  the  fish  is  hooked  the 
tip  is  almost  sure  to  be  smashed." 

"It's    a    mighty    neat    fly    that    Mr.     Frere    puts    out," 


354  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

said    Hiram,    who    had   joined   me;    "it's    not    every  fisher- 
man  who    can    equal    him." 

"  Right  you  are,"  I  replied,  "  Mr.  Frere  has  served 
his  time  at  casting.  By  Jove,  Frere,"  I  exclaimed,  "you 
just  now  had  a  rise." 

"I  thought  so,"  he  answered,  "but  there  is  so  much 
foam  on  the  water  that  I  could  not  see  at  this  distance. 
What  was  it?" 

"A  salmon,  sir,"  replied  Hiram;  "rest  him  a  little, 
and  he'll  come  again,  no  trouble." 

Frere,  with  the  fingers  of  his  left  hand,  drew  the 
line  in  through  the  rings  on  the  rod,  and  calmly  waited 
for  the  fish  to  settle  again. 

I  cannot  explain  why  it  is,  but  I  always  have  a  bit 
of  something  akin  to  buck  fever  after  a  salmon  has  been 
raised  and  missed,  and  the  pool  is  being  rested  prepar- 
atory to  another  cast.  Whether  it  is  from  the  suspense 
or  the  excitement  of  anticipation  that  causes  it,  or  per- 
haps a  combination  of  these  feelings  with  a  dread  of  los- 
ing the  fish  by  and  by,  I  know  not ;  but  I  cannot  avoid 
it,  no  matter  whether  I  or  some  one  else  holds  the  rod. 

After  the  lapse  of  a  couple  of  minutes  Frere  again 
began  putting  out  his  line,  and  soon  the  fly  was  drop- 
ping here  and  there  upon  the  pool.  Fiere  waited  until 
sufficient  line  was  out  to  enable  him  to  make  a  clean 


356  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

cast  over  the  spot  where  the  salmon  had  come  up  be- 
fore, and  then  with  a  grand  sweep  he  dropped  the  fly 
in  the  edge  of  the  eddy  exactly  where  the  salmon  had 
missed  it.  In  an  instant  a  swirl  in  the  water,  a  splash, 
and  then  the  whir  of  the  reel  gave  sure  token  that  the 
fish  was  hooked. 

"Good,"  I  exclaimed;  "kill  your  fish,  Frere,  and  then 
the  honors  will  be  easy  again." 

"I'll  do  my  best,"  he  replied,  packing  away  on  the 
reel  all  the  'line  that  would  come  to  him,  "there's  a  good 
hour  of  light  left  yet." 

"  It'll  not  take  that  long,"  said  William,  with  gaff  in 
hand  and  ready  for  action ;  "  'tis  only  a  smallish  fish,  and 
unless  it  gets  away,  Mr.  Frere's  heavy  rod  will  make  quick 
work  of  it." 

The  salmon,  as  soon  as  the  pressure  of  the  rod  was 
put  upon  it,  gave  a  tremendous  run  down  the  pool,  almost 
to  the  foot,  and  then,  returning  to  the  middle,  instead  of 
jumping,  it  settled  to  the  bottom.  Frere  quickly  reeled 
in  the  line  that  had  been  carried  out,  and  soon  had  it 
as  short  and  taut  as  he  could  wind  it ;  he  then  tried  to 
lift  the  fish  into  action,  straining  heavily  upon  the  rod, 
but  to  no  avail. 

"What    is   the    fish    about?"    I    asked,    "jiggering?" 

"No,"  replied   Frere,   "it   is   on   the  bottom  very  still, 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  357 

but   I    don't   believe   it   will   stand   the   strain   of   this   rod   a 
great   while." 

In  fact,  the  words  had  hardly  been  spoken  when  the 
salmon  started  down  the  pool  again,  this  time,  however, 
leaping  wildly  and  endeavoring  at  every  jump  to  free  it- 
self. Darting  up  the  pool  once  more,  and  back  to  the 
foot,  jumping  at  every  few  yards,  it  seemed  as  lively  as 
a  grilse,  and  it  required  the  greatest  activity  on  the  part 
of  Frere  to  keep  enough  line  on  the  reel  to  meet  the 
rushes  of  the  silvery  prize.  Another  time  the  salmon  re- 
turned to  the  middle  of  the  pool,  and  settled  to  the  bot- 
tom. Frere  reeled  in,  and  again,  when  the  lift  of  the 
rod  was  put  on,  the  fish  repeated  its  fierce  leaps  and  wild 
runs  down  and  across  the  pool ;  but  now  it  was  plainly 
weakening;  its  runs  began  to  grow  shorter  and  shorter 
and  its  leaps  less  frequent.  The  heavy  rod  was  evidently 
too  much  for  it,  and  at  length  it  rolled  over  on  its  side 
and  came  to  the  surface. 

Frere,  with  a  strong  lift,  endeavored  to  lead  the  fish 
toward  the  guide,  who  stood  with  gaff  in  hand  on  the 
beach,  a  short  distance  away,  but  the  effort  was  prema- 
ture, for  the  instant  that  the  salmon  saw  its  enemy  it  re- 
covered its  strength,  and,  darting  back,  settled  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  pool  again. 

"'Tis    a   little    rest    the    fish   wants,"    shouted    Hiram, 


358  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

who  had  been  watching  the  fight  from  the  beach  near 
the  camp,  "give  it  a  little  breathing  spell,  and  'twill  be 
as  fresh  again  as  a  daisy." 

"A  rest  is  something  I  don't  propose  to  give  it  now," 
said  Frere,  "I  can  take  no  chances."  And  he  was  right; 
many  a  salmon  has  been  lost  by  dawdling  with  it,  and 
the  fisherman  has  in  despair  seen  his  hook  come  home  to 
him  when  he  might  have  saved  his  prize  if  he  had  had 
the  courage  and  self-denial  to  force  the  fight. 

The  salmon  responded  again,  but  this  time  the  rush 
was  a  short  one  and  the  leaps  few  and  feeble.  It  began 
circling  about  aimlessly,  and  soon  its  silvery  side  was  ex- 
posed again  at  the  surface. 

"Sweep  him  in  this  time,  Mr.  Frere,"  said  William, 
and  I'll  gaff  him  sure." 

Frere  made  no  reply,  but  with  a  swing  of  the  heavy 
rod  he  forced  the  fish  toward  the  guide,  and  in  an  instant 
the  gaff  had  done  its  work,  and  the  salmon  lay  upon  the 
beach. 

"Indeed,  it  came  to  gaff  none  too  soon,"  exclaimed 
William,  "the  hook  dropped  out  as  I  touched  it." 

"Right    you    are,"   said    Hiram,    "it   was   a   close    call/' 

On  examination  of  the  salmon's  mouth,  we  found  that 
the  hook  had  torn  a  long  orifice  in  the  lip,  and  the  won- 
der was  that  it  had  held  as  long  as  it  did. 


With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera.  359 

"A  miss  is  as  good  as  a  mile,"  exclaimed  Frere,  as 
he  deposited  his  rod  on  the  proper  supports  at  the  camp ; 
"'tWas  a  pretty  fish,  and  I  should  have  felt  badly  to  have 
lost  it." 

"Well,  Hiram,"  I  exclaimed,  "we  have  four  or  five 
nice  salmon  and  more  trout  than  we  can  use,  and  we 
ought  to  send  them  away  to  our  friends,  who  would  be 
glad  to  get  them." 

"Yes,"  added  Frere,  "you  had  better  make  your  ar- 
rangements to  send  out  the  salmon  and  most  of  the  trout 
the  first  thing  to-morrow  morning." 

"All  right,  gentlemen,"  said  the  guide,  "I'll  go  now 
to  the  farm  for  a  team  to  haul  them  out.  "I'll  put  them 
in  the  snow*  to-night,  and  make  two  boxes  and  pack  and 
send  them  off  to-morrow  bright  and  early." 

"Good,"  said  I,  "pack  them  solidly  with  snow  and 
swamp  moss,  and  they  will  go  all  right." 

"Never  fear,"  answered  Hiram,  "many's  the  box  I've 
packed  for  fishermen,  and  never  a  one  lost  yet." 

We  gave  him  our  tags  to  affix  to  our  boxes  and 
directions  as  to  how  the  fish  were  to  be  divided,  and  soon 
he  was  being  ferried  across  the  river  with  his  heavy  load. 
Landing  at  the  mouth  of  the  brook  he  put  the  fish  in  a 
large  bag,  which  he  anchored  in  the  cold  water  that  came 

*  Snow,    instead    of    ice,    is    often    stored    by    Canadians. 


360  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

tumbling  down  from  the  rocks,  and  started  for  the  team 
that  was  necessary  to  carry  them  to  the  farm. 

"Next  to  the  pleasure  of  taking"  the  fish,"  said  Frere, 
as  we  again  settled  down  by  the  fire,  "  is  that  of  send- 
ing a  nice  box  to  friends  now  and  then  as  a  present." 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "but  I  am  afraid  that  the  recipients 
do  not  always  appreciate  how  much  trouble  and  expense 
we  incur  in  sending  our  presents  to  them.  In  fact,  I 
have  sometimes  almost  vowed  that  I  would  never  again 
send  away  a  fish.  Not  very  long  ago,  at  a  good  deal 
of  trouble,  I  packed  a  nice  box  of  trout  and  sent  it  to 
a  friend.  On  meeting  him  a  few  weeks  after,  he  thanked 
me  in  a  civil  enough  way,  but  coolly  stated  that,  although 
the  fish  were  nice  and  all  that,  he  would  rather  have  a 
fresh  mackerel  any  time." 

"Ha,  ha,"  laughed  my  friend,  "you  probably  never 
sent  him  another  box  after  that." 

"No,  you  may  depend  on  it,"  I  answered,  "and  in 
fact  I  nowadays  seldom  send  away  any  fish  unless  I  know 
they  are  going  where  they  will  be  fully  appreciated ;  if  I 
get  more  than  my  party  can  eat,  I  give  them  away  among 
the  settlers  around.  I  never  waste  a  fish  anyway." 

"No,    wicked    waste    that    would    be,"    said    Frere. 

"  I  used  to  see  wicked  waste  at  the  Rangeley  Lakes, 
in  Maine,"  said  1,  after  a  short  pause,  "awful  waste,  in- 


362  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

deed.  Before  the  present  fish  law  was  enacted,  no  limit 
was  placed  on  the  size  of  the  catch  of  anglers,  and  they 
could  kill  at  their  own  sweet  will  as  many  trout,  large 
or  small,  as  they  wished.  I  have  seen  a  man  come  into 
camp  at  night  with  two  hundred  and  fifty  trout,  some  of 
them  so  small  as  to  be  too  insignificant  for  cooking,  and 
I  once  saw  on  the  shore  of  a  famous  trout  brook  a  pile 
of  over  a  thousand  fingerlings,  which  had  been  caught  and 
left  to  rot.  It  was  outrageous.  Fortunately  now  the  law 
restricts  the  fisherman  in  the  size  of  his  catch  and  num- 
ber of  pounds  in  his  possession,  and  prohibits  him  from 
sending  them  away,  although  he  may  carry  fifty  pounds 
with  him  when  he  leaves,  and  this  provision  should  sat- 
isfy any  reasonable  sportsman.  This  law  will  stay  the 
great  destruction  that  has  been  going  on." 

"I  should  think,"  said  Frere,  "judging  by  the  ac- 
counts of  the  fishing  at  your  famous  lakes,  that  the  law 
has  come  too  late ;  I  should  imagine  the  stock  might  be 
exhausted." 

"On  the  contrary,"  I  replied,  "there  is  still  good  fish- 
ing there,  and  the  very  efficient  Maine  Commissioners  put 
into  the  water  many,  many  more  fry  than  there  are  taken 
out,  and  the  stock  of  large  fish  still  holds  out.  Every 
year  there  are  taken  great  numbers  of  trout  running  from 
five  to  seven  pounds,  and  we  occasionally  hear  of  a  ten, 


364  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

eleven,  or  even  twelve  pounder.      All  these  are  taken  with 
light,    single-handed    rods. 

"My  friend,  Mr.  W.  H.  Fullerton,  of  Windsor,  Ver- 
mont, writes  me  that  with  some  of  his  heavy  fish  last 
season,  such  as  six  and  three-quarter  pounds,  he  used  a 
four  and  a  half  ounce  rod!  It  requires  a  careful  and 
scientific  angler  to  do  such  work,  but  Mr.  Fullerton  is 
all  of  that ;  in  fact,  he  is  the  most  sportsmanlike  and 
conscientious  angler  with  whom  I  ever  fished."* 

*  Mr.  Fullerton  writes  me  as  follows :  "  Last  August  and  September  I  went  to 
the  Upper  Dam  [at  the  Rangeley  Lakes]  and  had  fine  sport,  all  conditions  being 
favorable  for  it.  I  will  give  you  my  record,  knowing  you  will  enjoy  it : 

Aug.   24    ..    I,    6     Ibs.,   with  6-oz.   rod.          Aug.   30   ..    I,    2^1bs.,  with  8-oz.   rod. 

"  24  ..  i,  3  "  "       30  ..  i,  3#  " 

"  25  ..  I,  34'  '  8-ox.-  '                          31  ..  i,  \}/2  " 

"  25  ..  i,  3!/4  "  "                                Sept.     3  .  .  i,  5 

"  25  ..  i,  2>i  '  3  ..  i.  itf  " 

"  25  ..  i,  2  3  ••  i,  7^  ' 

"  25  .  .  i,  5  ."  4  ..  i,  6*4  " 

"  27  ..  i,  3  "  4  ••  i,  6&  "               4''2-°z-  " 

28  ..  i,  2%  "  "         "  "         4  ..  i,  3}4  "         "         "        " 
"  28  ..  i,  iJ4  "  "                  "               "         4  ..  i,  6V2  "         "         "        " 

29  ..    i,    2%   "  4   ..    i,    3;^   "  8-oz.     ' 
29   . .    i,    1%   '                                                       4   . .    i,    3>j.' 

"       29   ..    i,    6'4    "  8    ..    i,    3       " 

29   . .   i,    314'   "        "  ii   ..   i,    5^4   " 

29   .  .    i,    6;>4    "  14   ..    I,    4^2  ." 

"  My  twelve  largest  weighed  73  J4  Ibs.  as  you  will  see  by  the  score.  The  6^ 
and  6^4  caught  on  4^-02.  Leonard  [Catskill]  rod  I  netted  alone  in  strong  water 
and  from  a  boat,  which  I  call  a  good  test  of  a  rod,  in  fact  I  can  handle  a  large 
trout  on  it  nearly  as  .quickly  as  I  can  with  my  8-oz.  Leonard.  Hoping  you  and 
I  may  meet  again  and  'cast  our  lines  in  pleasant  places,' 

I   am   very  truly   yours,  WM.    H.    FULLKRTON." 


366  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

"That  must  be  great  sport,"  said  Frere,  "killing  so 
large  a  fish  on  so  small  a  rod,  it  is  the  quintessence  of 
delicate  angling." 

"Yes,"  I  answered,  "and  many  of  my  friends  are 
adopting  just  such  light  tackle." 

"You  say  that  the  Maine  waters  are  being  restocked 
artificially,"  said  Frere,  "  I  suppose  that  the  artificial  method 
is  a  complete  success." 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "and  we  put  out  now  annually  an 
immense  number  of  not  only  trout  fry,  but  also  those  of 
other  species,  particularly  the  sea  salmon  and  land-locked 
salmon.  You  Canadians  set  us  the  example,  and  for  a 
time  led  us  in  the  good  work,  but  we  are  now  abreast 
of,  even  if  we  are  not  really  outstripping,  you." 

"Yes,  you  Yankees  always  go  into  everything  with 
a  rush,"  said.  Frere,  laughingly. 

"We    do,"    I    replied,    "and    we   are    rushing    the    arti-, 
ficial    propagation    of    fish.       I    have   visited    a    number    of 
the    hatcheries,    both    in    the    States    and    your    Provinces, 
and   I    inspected    the    operations    closely." 

"It  must  be  very  interesting,"  said  Frere,  "I  wish 
you  would  describe  the  different  manipulations  by  which 
the  fry  are  produced.  Our  hatcheries  are  very  success- 
ful, and  they  turn  out  millions  of  fry  annually,  but  I  have 
never  seen  the  actual  operation." 


TAKING  THE  SPAWN  AND  MILT  SIMULTANEOUSLY  AT  GRAND  LAKE  STREAM,  ME.    (Inst.) 


368  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "the  whole  process  is  intensely  in- 
teresting- and  a  wonderful  scientific  triumph.  I  will  de- 
scribe it  as  well  as  I  can.  Of  course  the  first  step  to 
be  taken  is  the  erection  of  a  hatchery,  and  this  must  be 
done  on  scientific  principles,  no  matter  how  pretentious 
or  otherwise  the  building  may  be.  It  is  essential  that 
there  shall  be  an  unfailing  supply  of  pure  water.  Bright 
sparkling  brook  water,  free  from  sediment,  is  the  most 
desirable.  The  house  is  placed  so  that  the  water  can 
be  conducted  into  it  by  pipes  or  sluices,  and  then  it  is 
caused  to  pass  through  a  series  of  long  tanks  or  troughs. 
In  these  troughs  are  placed  trays  containing  the  eggs, 
and  there  they  remain  in  the  moving  water  until  the  fry 
are  hatched. 

"The  house  erected  and  everything  ready  for  oper- 
ating—  and  this  should  be  accomplished  early  in  the  sum- 
mer, or  at  any  rate  before  the  fish  are  ready  to  spawn 
—  a  supply  of  breeding  fish  should  be  secured. 

"The  method  of  obtaining  this  supply  varies  at  dif- 
ferent hatcheries.51  At  some,  as  on  the  Penobscot  River 

*  In  the  Canadian  Fisheries  Report  (1886)  I '  find  the  following:  "There  are 
several  methods  adopted  at  the  present  time  for  obtaining  supplies  of  parent  fish  to 
provide  the  hatcheries  with  eggs.  By  far  the  least  expensive  one  is  to  entice  the 
salmon  on  their  passage  up  river  into  a  safely  constructed  trap-like  inclosure,  where 
they  can  be  retained  until  ripe  for  spawning,  and  then  set  free  again.  This  sys- 
tem is  not  of  easy  application,  unless  the  stream  is  moderately  small,  and  easily 
controlled.  The  Dunk  River  Hatchery,  P.  Q.  K.,  is  provided  with  this  method  for 


370  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

in  Maine,  the  weirs  are  depended  upon  to  procure  the 
supply,  and  the  fish  are  kept  prisoners  in  small  ponds 
until  they  are  ready  to  spawn.  At  the  Schoodic  hatch- 
ery on  Grand  Lake  Stream  the  fish  are  caught  and  de- 
tained in  yards  in  the  river.  This  is  done  very  ingeni- 
ously, and  the  fish  are  kept  on  their  natural  spawning 
grounds  until  the  eggs  are  ready  to  come  away.  The 
nets  are  set  in  the  stream  so  that  after  the  fish  enter 
them  at  the  upper  end,  the  outlet  of  Grand  Lake,  and 

capturing  the  parent  stock  of  salmon,  and  gives  the  minimum  cost  of  about  45  cents 
for  each  fish,  with  a  trifle  over  9  cents  per  thousand  for  eggs. 

"Another  method  is  adopted  at  the  Ristigouche,   Gaspe  and   Tadoussac  hatcheries, 

» 

where  the  early  runs  of  salmon  in  June,  July  and  August  are  netted  by  employees 
of  the  hatcheries,  or  purchased  from  fishermen  owning  stations  on  the  rivers,  at 
current  market  prices.  These  fish  are  carefully  handled  from  the  nets,  and  trans- 
ported in  scows  specially  made  for  the  purpose,  to  pens  or  retaining  ponds  near  by, 
through  which  the  tide  or  current  of  the  stream  freely  runs  [pure  tidal  water  of 
the  sea  is  preferable  for  their  healthy  keeping];  here  the  salmon  are  kept  till  spawn- 
ing time  arrives  in  October  and  November.  After  being  manipulated  they  are  set 
at  liberty  again,  without  any  loss  worthy  of  mentjon.  At  these  three  establishments 
the  cost  of  each  fish,  including  their  guardianship  in  the  pens  throughout  the  seasons, 
averaged  $2.75,  and  the  eggs  ranged  at  about  44  cents  per  thousand.  This  system, 
after  several  years  of  practical  application,  has  proved  to  be  the  most  satisfactory 
from  every  point  of  view  in  which  it  may  be  considered,  and  ought  to  be  connected 
with  the  working  of  every  hatchery  in  the  Dominion  where  circumstances  will  fairly 
admit  of  its  application. 

"The  system  pursued  at  the  Sydney,  Bedford,  St.  John  and  Miramichi  hatch- 
eries to  secure  parent  salmon  for  breeding  purposes,  is  to  take  them  with  nets  at 
the  spawning  time  or  just  previous  to  it.  While  this  method  proved  satisfactory, 
both  as  regards  the  number  of  fish  captured  and  the  quota  of  eggs  obtained  for 
the  Sydney  and  Miramichi  hatcheries,  the  result  for  the  Bedford  and  St.  John  River 
hatcheries  was  very  unsatisfactory." 


372  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

pass  down  to  the  spawning  beds,  they  cannot  pass  out. 
They  are  as  securely  encaged  as  a  rat  in  a  wire  trap, 
and  there  they  remain  until  the  spawn  is  taken. 

"The  Schoodic  hatchery  is  the  most  favorably  lo- 
cated of  any  I  have  seen,  and  the  fish  are  in  perfect 
condition  when  the  eggs  are  taken.* 

*  The  following  interesting  account  of  the  operations  at  the  Schoodic  hatchery 
is  furnished  me  by  Mr.  W.  T.  Buck,  the  official  who  supervised  the  work  when 
I  visited  it : 

"Schoodic  salmon  are  captured  at  Grand  Lake  Stream,  Me.,  in  net  traps  set 
on  the  spawning  beds.  The  season  during  which  the  females  lay  their  eggs,  de- 
pending probably  on  temperature,  varies  in  different  years,  but  may  be  expected  be- 
tween the  2oth  of  October  and  the  2oth  of  November.  The  males  come  first  to 
the  spawning  grounds,  the  proportion  of  females  gradually  increasing  until  they  far 
outnumber  the  males  in  the  later  catches  of  the  season. 

"The  salmon  run  into  the  traps  mostly  during  the  night.  Each  morning  those 
taken  are  measured  anil  weighed,  and  when  a  female  is  found  ripe,  as  many  of  her 
eggs  are  taken  as  she  will  yield  on  moderate  pressure.  She  is  then  put  in  a  pound 
with  others  of  her  class  to  be  handled  the  next  day,  when  she  will  yield  the  rest 
of  her  eggs.  At  the  first  handling  a  ripe  female  yields  about  two-thirds  of  her 
eggs,  say  1, 200  from  an  average  fish.  The  fish  that  are  found  unripe  are  placed 
by  themselves  to  be  examined  a  day  or  two  later.  Some  of  the  males  are  put  into 
each  pound  in  order  that  they  may  be  seined  up  with  each  lot  of  females  and  at 
hand  for  use. 

"In  the  operation  of  spawning,  the  eggs  and  milt  are  received  in  a  pan  with- 
out water  and  mixed  by  waving  the  pan  in  a  circle.  They  are  then  weighed  and 
washed  in  changes  of  water  until  the  water  is  no  longer  cloudy.  After  standing 
in  clear  water  for  about  twenty  minutes,  or  until  they  are  swelled  and  hardened, 
they  are  taken  to  the  river  hatchery  and  placed  on  wire  trays  about  one  foot  square. 
The  trays  are  placed  one  above  another  in  stacks  or  frames  of  twenty  each,  with 
spaces  between  for  passage  of  water,  but  too  narrow  for  passage  of  eggs,  and  the 
stacks  carefully  lowered  into  troughs  supplied  with  running  water  and  of  such  size 
that  the  stacks  nearly  fill  the  whole  width  and  depth.  The  flow  of  water  is  thus 
between  the  trays,  and  the  eggs  are  supplied  both  above  and  below.  This  arrange- 


374  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

"  The  method  of  extracting  the  eggs  and  milt  is  a 
simple  one,  yet  it  must  be  done  by  an  expert.  The  fish 
is  held  by  the  operator  with  his  right  hand  (encased  in 
a  woolen  mitten)  clasping  the  salmon  near  the  tail.  The 
left  hand  is  then  passed  with  a  moderate  pressure  along 
the  body  of  the  fish,  and  the  eggs  exude ;  an  accomplished 

ment,  which  was  invented  here  by  Mr.  Atkins,  has  since  been  largely  adopted  else- 
where. Twice  each  week  the  stacks  are  lifted  from  the  water  and  each  tray  of 
eggs  examined,  and  any  white  ones  removed,  as  such  eggs  are  dead  and  would  soon 
burst  and  destroy  others. 

"The  water  of  the  river  hatchery  being  very  cold,  any  eggs  which  are  not  to 
be  matured  early  are  kept  there  as  long  as  the  condition  of  the  river  will  admit. 
The  hatchery  being  in  the  bed  of  the  river,  it  is  necessary  to  remove  the  eggs  be- 
fore the  spring  freshets,  which  overflow  the  troughs  to  the  depth  of  several  feet. 
All  are  removed  before  packing  or  hatching  to  the  cove  hatchery,  where  the  water 
supply  is  from  springs  and  is  warmer  than  the  river  water.  By  dating  the  removal 
from  the  cold  river  water,  the  period  of  hatching  can  be  regulated  to  a  considerable 
extent. 

"After  the  appearance  of  the  eye  dots  the  eggs  which  are  to  be  packed  are 
first  jarred  by  pouring  from  one  pan  to  another  several  times,  which  causes  the  un- 
fertilized to  turn  white.  These  having  been  picked  out,  the  remainder  are  placed  on 
mosquito  netting  and  between  layers  of  damp  moss  in  boxes  of  thin  wood.  These 
boxes  arc  about  three  inches  deep  and  contain  four  layers  of  eggs.  Covers  are  then 
tacked  on  and  the  boxes  packed  one  upon  auother  in  cases  of  dry  moss.  The  outer 
cases  are  of  such  size  as  to  allow  a  layer  of  moss  three  inches  thick  on  all  sides 
of  the  inner  boxes. 

"Care  is  taken  to  secure  a  temperature  but  little  above  freezing  in  the  moss 
of  the  inner  boxes  at  the  time  of  placing  them  in  the  outer  cases.  The  latter  are 
then  stuffed  tightly  with  the  dry  moss  and  nailed  up.  Packed  in  this  way,  eggs 
will  bear  long  exposure  to  heat  or  cold  and  a  good  deal  of  rough  handling,  the 
moss  deadening  the  force  of  a  jar.  They  are,  however,  sent  at  once  to  their 
destination,  and  every  effort  is  made  to  secure  careful  treatment  on  the  way.  Eggs 
packed  in  this  manner  have  been  sent  from  here  to  many  parts  of  the  United  States, 
and  even  across  the  ocean,  and  have  almost  always  arrived  in  excellent  order.  Last 


376  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

operator  can  tell  in  an  instant  if  the  eggs  are  advanced 
enough  to  be  taken,  and  he  will  not  use  any  force  or 
unnecessary  pressure  in  removing  them.  They  ought  to 
come  away  with  the  exercise  of  almost  the  lightest  touch 
of  the  hand. 

"The  male  salmon  is  handled  in  exactly  the  same  way, 
and  his  milt  is  mixed  with  the  eggs  in  a  pan  without  any 
water  being  added.  After  the  spawn  and  milt  are  well 
mixed,  they  are  allowed  to  stand  a  few  minutes  in  clear 
water,  and  are  then  placed  in  trays  in  the  hatchery. 

"These  trays  have  bottoms  composed   of  wire  netting, 

season  a  slight  modification  of  this  packing  was  made  for  eggs  sent  abroad.  The 
cases  were  so  made  that  ice  could  be  placed  on  top  of  the  inner  egg  boxes  which 
were  arranged  to  allow  the  water  from"  the  melting  ice  to  flow  over  and  around 
but  not  into  them,  so  that  the  moss  in  contact  with  the  eggs  might  not  become 
too  wet.  Arrangement  was  then  made  with  the  steward  of  the  steamer  on  which 
the  eggs  crossed  the  Atlantic,  to  keep  ice  in  the  cases  during  the  voyage.  Packed 
in  this  way  the  eggs  reached  England  and  Germany  in  good  order. 

"Comparison  of  records  shows  a  gradual  increase  in  size  of  the  Schoodic  sal- 
mon handled  at  the  spawning  season,  and  a  marked  increase  in  the  yield  of  eggs 
per  fish : 

Thus    235    males,    weighed    and    measured    in    1877,    averaged    16.8    in.,    i.S    Ibs. 
"      247        "  "     1886,  20.3     "      3.46  " 

"      343    females,       "  "1877,  16.  i     "       1.9     " 

505        "  "  "  "  "     1886,          "  20.1     "       3.58  " 

while  the  average  number  of  eggs  per  female  has  advanced  from  about  900  to 
about  i, 800. 

"Attempts  at  crossing  the  different  varieties  of  iish  taken  here,  such  as  Schoodic 
salmon  and  brook  trout,  or  togue  and  Schoodic  salmon,  have  not  resulted  in  vigor- 
ous fish,  although  such  hybrids  have  been  hatched,  but  sea  salmon  eggs  fertili/ed 
with  milt  from  Schoodic  salmon  produce  strong  fry  not  to  be  distinguished  from 
the  ordinary  Schoodic  salmon  fry." 


- 


378  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

and  when  placed  in  the  troughs,  the  running-  water  passes 
over  and  around  them  constantly.  Of  course,  the  trays 
are  examined  often,  and  the  infertile  eggs  removed.  At 
one  hatchery  that  I  visited  last  November  there  was  a 
very  large  percentage  of  loss,  more  than  half  the  eggs 
in  the  trays  being  white  and  spoiled  from  frost,  I  think, 
but  generally  the  percentage  of  loss  is  very  small. 

"The  artificial  is  a  vast  improvement  on  the  "natural 
method,  the  percentage  of  loss  in  the  former  being  about 
the  same  as  the  percentage  of  successful  hatching  in  the 
latter,  for  the  milt  diffused  in  the  water  quickly  loses  its 
power  of  impregnating  the  ova,  and  this,  together  with 
the  depredations  of  trout  and  other  fish,  which  dart  in 
and  seize  the  eggs  almost  as  fast  as  they  are  exuded, 
makes  the  percentage  absurdly  small." 

"  Yes,  the  trout  bother  the  salmon  some  when  they 
are  spawning,"  said  William,  "but  not  such  a  great  deal, 
for  the  old  salmon  drives  them  off ;  the  sheldrake  does 
most  mischief." 

"Yes,"  I  answered,  "and  the  wonder  to  me  is  that 
there  is  a  salmon  left.  One  thing  is  pretty  certain,  and 
that  is  that  artificial  propagation  of  this  fish  is  in  the  fu- 
ture to  be  the  main  reliance  for  the  continuance  of  the 
species ;  for  the  demand  is  now  so  immense,  and  the  mar- 
ket so  great,  the  natural  method  could  never  supply  it. 


A  FORTY-EIGHT  POUNDER." 


380  IVith    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

The  work  that  is  now  being  done,  therefore,  by  the  Com- 
missioners of  the  States  and  Provinces,  is  of  exceeding 
value,  and  is  deserving  of  the  greatest  encouragement  and 
support,  not  only  from  sportsmen,  but  from  the  whole  peo- 
ple. The  appropriations  by  the  different  governments  have 
been  absurdly  meagre,  when  we  take  into  consideration  the 
importance  of  the  work  undertaken  and  its  results,  and  it 
seems  to  me  that  as  a  money-making,  investment  alone, 
the  various  Commissioners  should  be  unstinted  in  their  re- 
sources." 

"  The  young  fry,  just  hatched,  are  devoured  by  small 
trout  and  the  little  salmon,"  said  William. 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "and  here  also  the  artificial  method 
is  an  improvement  on  the  natural ;  for  by  it  the  young 
fry,  instead  of  being  in  their  helpless  condition  turned 
adrift  in  the  midst  of  enemies,  are  retained  at  the  hatch- 
eries until  they  are  large  enough  to  take  care  of  them- 
selves, when  they  are  distributed  in  the  various  streams 
to  which  they  are  allotted." 

"It  is  very  interesting,"  said  Frere,  after  I  had  fin- 
ished. "Who  would  have  thought  of  breeding  salmon  like 
so  many  chickens  thirty  years  ago ;  by  and  by  they  will 
breed  cod  and  other  sea  fish." 

"They  do  now,"  I  replied;  "in  the  States  our  Com- 
missioners have  hatched  millions  of  young  cod;  shad  cul- 


382  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

ture  is  an  old  story,  and  now  we  are  hatching  lobsters, 
scup  and  striped  or  sea  bass  in  great  numbers." 

"Wonderful,"  said  Frere,  "the  progress  of  science  is 
something  astounding." 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "the  rivers  are  being  restocked  in 
the  most  liberal  manner,  and  if  the  fish  are  given  a  fair 
chance,  and  not  wasted,  the  prospect  is  good  for  a  steady 
improvement  in  angling." 

"I  have  often,"  said  Frere,  "when  I  had  a  perma- 
nent camp  of  a  week  or  ten  days,  in  order  that  my  fish 
might  not  be  wasted,  smoked  all  spare  grilse  and  salmon, 
and  they  prove  delicious  on  the  winter  breakfast  table." 

"Yes,"  added  William,  "and  salted  sea  trout  are  also 
very  fine  in  winter.  Soak  them  a  few  hours  and  broil 
them,  and  they  are  nice." 

"I  never  tasted  any  salt  trout,"  I  replied,  "but  have 
heard  that  the  sea  trout  is  very  good  after  such  a  pickl- 
ing; but  I  should  not  fancy  it;  nothing  like  the  fresh- 
caught  fish  for  me." 

"Yes,  the  sea  trout  is  at  its  best  when  just  from  the 
water,  although  it  is  fairly  good  when  pickled  like  the 
mackerel ;  the  spotted  or  brook  trout,  however,  is  worth- 
less when  salted." 

"It  is,"  said  William,  "perfectly  worthless,  tough,  hard 
and  without  any  taste  but  the  salt;  but  I've  been  think. 


384  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

ing  about  what  you  said  of  the  work  of  the  fish  hatch- 
eries; we  pay  a  good  bit  of  money  in  the  Dominion  for 
fish-breeding  now,  and  the  netters  on  the  shore  get  most 
of  the  benefit." 

"You  are  right,"  I  replied,  "there  is  a  very  good  dis- 
bursement in  the  interests  of  fishculture  in  Canada,  and 
it  is  money  well  invested.  I  agree  with  you  that  the 
shore  netters  are  getting  a  big  lion's  share  of  the  -results. 
In  plain  simple  justice,  in  addition  to  the  cost  of  license, 
which  is  a  mere  bagatelle,  and  the  small  tax  they  now 
pay  on  the  nets,  an  additional  tax  should  be  levied  -on 
every  salmon  taken  in  weirs,  gill-nets,  or  other  traps  in 
tidal  waters,  either  in  the  Dominion  or  New  England 
shores.  Take  for  instance  the  Penobscot  River  in  Maine, 
and  the  Margaree  in  Cape  Breton,  a  few  weir  owners  are 
reaping  a  rich  harvest  from  the  work  done  by  the  Com- 
missioners, and  the  State  pays  the  bills.  It  is  preposter- 
ous that  a  crop  sown  by  the  people  of  the  .State  should 
not  be  harvested  in  some  way  by  the  whole  people.  I 
believe  that,  since  they  reap  the  chief  portion  of  the  har- 
vest, the  weir  owners  should  pay  a  good  liberal  share  of 
the  expense  of  planting  it,  or  else  their  privileges  should 
be  greatly  curtailed." 

"You  are  right,"  said  Frere,  "the  netters  and  weir 
owners  are  having  an  unfair  advantage." 


" 


SPufli 


386  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

"Indeed  they  are,"  exclaimed  Hiram,  "some  of  them 
are  getting  rich  netting  the  fish  the  Government  raises, 
while  \ve  poor  devils,  who  have  hard  work  to  get  a  liv- 
ing, hardly  see  a  salmon  to  call  it  our  own." 

"Well,"  I  replied,  "you  must  agitate  the  matter.  See 
to  it  that  wise  and  disinterested  law-makers  are  sent  to 
your  Parliament,  men  who  will  right  the  thing.  Unless 
something  is  done  salmon  will  grow  scarcer,  no  matter  how 
many  are  planted.  The  fishery  officers  have  already  per- 
ceived the  evil  and  reported  upon  it.* 

*  In  the  Annual  Report  of  the  Department  of  Fisheries  of  Canada  for  1886,  I 
find  the  following:  "In  New  Brunswick  the  improvement  in  the  catch  of  salmon, 
which  marks  last  year's  return,  was  not  sustained;  the  figures  standing  1,291,255153. 
in  1886,  against  1,437,316  Ibs.  in  1885.  This  unsatisfactory  result  is  attributabje  to 
excessive  netting  in  the  tidal  estuaries,  which  prevents  the  salmon  from  reaching  their 
spawning  beds  in  the  upper  portion  of  the  rivers.  There  is  also  a  marked  falling 
off  in  the  catch  of  bass,  attributable  to  the  same  cause." 

W.  II.  Yenning,  Esq.,  says:  "The  increase  in  the  catch  of  salmon,  which 
marked  last  year's  returns,  has  not  been  sustained.  Rejecting  theories,  and  con- 
fining myself  to  the  observation  of  facts,  I  have  for  several  years  expressed  my 
conviction,  that  under  existing  circumstances  no  permanent  improvement  in  our  sal- 
mon fisheries  can  reasonably  be  expected.  These  facts  are,  that  in  1874  the  salmon 
catch  in  New  Brunswick  was  3,214,182  Ibs.  Since  railways  have  enabled  fresh  salmon 
to  reach  distant  markets,  the  number  of  fishermen  has  increased,  and  improved  appli- 
ances have  been  employed,  not  only  along  the  coast,  but  from  the  estuaries  to  the 
headwaters  of  all  our  rivers  to  which  salmon  resort.  With  this  increase  in  the 
number  of  men  fishing,  and  with  these  improved  appliances  for  catching  fish,  the 
catch  last  year  was  only  1,407,598  Ibs.,  and  this  year  only  1,268,855  Ibs." 

Overseer  Verge  of  the  River  Division  says:  "The  catch  made  on  the  New 
Brunswick  side  of  the  Restigouche  was  less  than  that  of  last  year.  This  decrease 
is  attributed  to  unfavorable  winds  in  the  early  part  of  the  seaso"  and  to  excessive 
netting  at  the  mouth  of  the  river." 


388  With,    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

"Every  salmon  that  is  netted  should  bear  its  fair 
share  of  the  expense  of  the  artificial  propagation  of  the 
species,  and  what  that  share  is  can  be  easily  figured,  for 
the  percentage  and  cost  of  development  are  well  known. 
If,  for  instance,  five  hundred  salmon  are  in  one  season 
taken  in  the  nets  and  weirs  about  the  mouth  of  a  river, 
there  should  be  a  tax  levied  upon  those  fish  which  would 
pay  the  expense  of  planting  and  maturing  at  least  five 
hundred  others." 

"Wouldn't  there  be  a  good  deal  of  machinery  and 
red  tape  needed  in  such  a  method?"  asked  Frere. 

"Not  necessarily,"  I  replied;  "a  very  simple,  plain 
law  could  be  enacted  that  would  meet  all  the  require- 
ments ;  perhaps  a  stated  tax  on  the  number  of  salmon 
taken  in  the  nets  and  weirs  —  the  tax  being-  based  on  the 

o 

ascertained  statistics  of  cost  of  production  —  to  be  used  in 
developing   fishculture   would    be    enough." 

* 

"There  is  no  doubt  you  are  right,"  said  Frere,  "the 
remarkable  growth  of  the  lobster-canning  industry  on  our 
shores  is  an  illustration  in  point.  All  along  our  Cana- 
dian seaboard  lobster  trapping  has  been  pushed  to  such 
an  extent  that  in  many  localities  where  the  fish  was  form- 
erly abundant,  it  is  now  almost  extinct." 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "and  trapping  and  netting  will  do 
the  same  for  the  salmon.  It  is  for  us  anglers  to  check 


390  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

the  evil  all  we  can,  for  it  is  to  us  that  the  great  work 
of  restocking  our  rivers  is  due." 

"How    is    that?"    asked    Frere. 

"  Why,  the  idea  originated  with  that  prince  of  sports- 
men, Henry  W.  Herbert,  better  known  as  Frank  Forres- 
ter, and  it  was  advocated  by  other  sportsmen,  and  pushed 
and  pushed  until  the  different  governments  took  it  up,  and 
it  has  now  attained  wonderful  proportions.  *  Yes,  it  is 

*  In  the  Edinburgh  New  Philosophical  Journal  for  July,  1836,  there  is  an  ac- 
count of  some  experiments  made  by  Mr.  Shaw.  Commenting  on  these  experiments 
Mr.  Herbert,  in  his  book  on  "Fish  and  Fishing,"  says: 

"  Mr.  Shaw,  it  seems,  caused  three  ponds  to  be  made,  of  different  sizes,  at 
about  fifty  yards  distant  from  a  salmon  river,  the  Erith,  the  ponds  being  supplied 
by  a  stream  of  spring  water  well  furnished  with  larvre  of  insects.  The  average 
temperature  of  the  water  in  the  rivulet  was  rather  higher  and  less  variable  than  of 
that  in  the  river ;  otherwise  the  circumstances  of  the  ova  contained  in  the  ponds, 
and  of  the  young  fry  produced  therefrom,  were  precisely  similar  to  those  of  the 
spawn  and  fry  in  the  river. 

"Observing  two  salmon,  male  and  female,  in  the  river  preparing  to  deposit  their 
spawn,  Mr.  Shaw  prepared  in  the  shingle  by  the  stream's  edge,  a  small  trench  through 
which  he  directed  a  stream  of  water  from  the  river,  and  at  the  lower  extremity  of 
the  trench  placed  a  large  earthenware  basin  to  receive  the  ova. 

"  This  done,  by  means  of  a  hoop  net  he  secured  the  two  fish  which  he  had 
observed,  and  placing  the  female,  while  alive,  in  the  trench,  forced  her  by  gentle 
pressure  of  her  body  to  deposit  her  ova  in  the  trench.  The  male  fish  was  then 
placed  in  the  same  position,  and  a  quantity  of  the  milt  being  pressed  from  his  body, 
passed  down  the  stream  and  thoroughly  impregnated  the  ova,  which  were  then  trans- 
ferred to  the  basin,  and  thence  to  the  upper  stream  which  fed  the  upper  pond,  where 
they  were  covered  up  as  usual." 

Mr.  Herbert  does  not  give  the  percentage  of  fry  that  resulted  from  this  and 
at  that  time  novel,  and  which  we  would  now  call  a  crude  attempt  at  fishculture ;  but 
that  it  was  a  success  his  language  everywhere  implies,  as  he  gives  the  period  of  in- 
cubation in  different  degrees  of  temperature  of  the  water,  and  describes  the  various 


392  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

due  to  anglers  and  their  efforts  that  many  of  our  rivers 
now  teem  with  fish,  which  the  greedy  waste,  the  sense- 
less butchery  by  others  had  rendered  barren." 

stages  of  growth  of  the  young  fish  that  were  hatched.  Now  for  an  application  of 
this  method,  Mr.  Herbert  in  the  record  of  the  efforts  he  was  making  for  the  pro- 
tection and  propagation  of  the  salmon,  says  : 

'*  I  have  stated  that  the  true  salmon  was  wont  in  former  years  to  run  up  into 
Seneca,  Cayuga,  and  others  of  the  small  lakes  of  central  New  York,  and  expressed 
a  doubt  whether  it  was  not  now  prevented  from  doing  so  by  the  obstructions  in  the 
Oswego  River.  In  the  course  of  a  visit  to  that  interesting  region  during  the  past 
autumn,  I  had  an  opportunity  of  verifying  this  doubt ;  and  I  found,  as  indeed  I 
expected,  that  the  true  salmon  has  ceased  to  exist  in  those  beautiful  waters.  It  is 
with  great  pleasure,  however,  that  I  lay  before  my  readers  an  enactment  for  the 
preservation  of  that  noble  fish,  just  passed  by  the  Supervisors  of  the  county  of 
Oswego,  in  conformity  with  the  act  of  the  State  Legislature,  committing  the  care 
of  game,  and  the  passing  of  game  laws,  to  those  Boards  throughout  the  county." 

This  act  (entitled  "An  Act  for  the  Preservation  of  Salmon  in  the  Salmon  River 
and  Lake  Ontario  contiguous  thereto,"  passed  Dec.  12,  1836),  Mr.  Herbert  says,  is 
precisely  what  it  should  be,  and  reflects  the  highest  credit  on  the  liberality,  wisdom 
and  energy  of  the  Board  which  enacted  it.  "I  only  regret  that  its  provisions  extend 
only  to  a  single  river;  but  I  trust  that  this  defect  will  be  amended  and  that  the 
Oswego  River,  and  the  Seneca,  Cayuga  and  other  outlets  will  receive  the  same  priv- 
ilege, which  would  doubtless  lead  to  the  speedy  re-establishment  of  the  salmon  in 
those  lovely  and  limpid  waters." 

The  act  referred  to  was  so  lengthy  that  I  will  not  quote  it  here,  suffice  it  to 
say  that  it  was  a  very  strong  one  in  the  direction  of  thorough  protection  of  the 
salmon  from  seining,  spearing  and  destruction  by  methods  now  considered  baleful  in 
the  highest  degree.  Mr.  Herbert  further  on  says,  and  I  ask  your  particular  atten- 
tion to  this : 

"I  earnestly  recommend  the  passage  of  similar  laws  to  this,  by  the  Legislatures 
of  the  various  Eastern  States,  especially  by  that  of  Maine,  in  reference  to  every  river 
eastward,  at  least,  of  the  mouth  of  the  Kennebec,  as  the  only  method  by  which 
the  speedily  approaching  extinction  of  the  salmon  can  be  prevented.  I  have  no 
doubt,  however,  that  if  the  same  laws  were  passed  by  the  Legislatures  of  Connec- 
ticut and  New  York,  with  regard  to  the  fine  river  which  gives  name  to  that  first 
State,  and  to  the  noble  Hudson,  coupled  with  an  absolute  prohibition  to  take  or 

' 


394  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

"So   that   we    anglers    are    good    for    something    after 
all,"   said    Frere. 

"Yes,"    I    replied,    "and    now   that  we    have   succeeded 

destroy  the  salmon,  for  the  space  of  five  years,  that  this,  the  king  of  fishes,  might 
be  re-introduced  into  those  waters  by  the  adoption  of  the  simple  method  I  have 
described.  And  I  take  this  opportunity  of  stating  that  I  have  good  hope  of  making 
such  arrangements  as  will  enable  me  to  procure  in  this  coming  spring,  such  supplies 
of  the  salmon  fry,  in  the  state  which  admits  of  their  transportation  from  Nova 
Scotia,  as  will  suffice  to  establish  the  possibility  of  the  undertaking.  It  is  my  inten- 
tion, should  I  succeed  in  obtaining  the  support  or  encouragement  from  the  Legislature 
of  New  Jersey,  to  make  the  experiment  in  the  tributaries  of  the  Passaic ;  and  should 
it  be  successful,  I  can  only  add  that  it  will  give  me  but  too  much  pleasure  to  assist 
any  gentleman  in  procuring  the  means  of  re-stocking  any  waters  on  which  they  may 
reside,  with  this  most  game  and  noblest  of  fishes." 

The  earnest  efforts  of  Mr.  Herbert  bore  good  fruit,  the  movement  which  was 
first  suggested  by  him  and  set  on  foot  progressed  wonderfully.  Other  sportsmen 
became  interested  in  and  advocated  it  in  every  direction.  The  good  work  went  on  ; 
the  subject  was  more  and  more  discussed,  and  legislative  action  more  and  more 
earnestly  asked  for,  until  finally,  as  Charles  Hallock,  another  sportsman  whose  name 
is  respected  by  anglers  everywhere,  writes  in  1873,  after  commenting  on  the  almost 
absolute  extinction  which  had  threatened  our  salmon : 

"Nevertheless,  pluck  and  perseverance,  combined  with  fortuitous  circumstances, 
saved  our  streams  from  total  depopulation.  The  subject  was  kept  in  agitation  by 
gentlemen  who  were  awake  to  the  value  of  these  material  interests  ;  it  was  constantly 
impressed  upon  the  attention  of  the  authorities  of  several  States.  Then,  one  after 
another,  the  States  appointed  Fish  Commissioners,  delegated  powers  to  them,  and 
made  appropriations.  Xevv  England  took  the  lead.  New  York  and  New  Jersey 
followed,  and  now  we  have  [I  will  add  in  addition  to  the  United  States  Commission, 
Commissioners  in  thirty-seven  States  and  Territories].  Canada  also  took  hold  of  the 
matter  in  sober  earnest,  and  appointed  a  Fishery  Commission  which  proved  wonder- 
fully efficient  in  working  out  the  most  gratifying  results.  While  our  States  were 
dallying,  or  impeded  in  obtaining  means  of  replenishing  our  rivers,  which  they  did 
not  possess  within  themselves,  Canada,  with  superior  natural  facilities,  made  rapid 
progress  in  the  great  work  of  recuperation,  and  is  now  in  a  fair  way  of  restoring 
to  her  rivers  the  salmon  in  all  their  former  wonderful  plenty." 


A  THREE  POUND  SEA  TROUT. 


396  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

in  getting  the  authorities  at  work  restocking  the  depleted 
rivers,  and  have  also  succeeded  in  getting  wise  laws  for 
the  protection  of  the  fish  in  the  streams,  it  is  for  us  to 
see  to  their  enforcement. 

"No  amount  of  fly-fishing,  or  surface-fishing,  as  it  is 
termed,  can  deplete  a  salmon  stream,  for,  as  you  know, 
though  there  may  be  hundreds  of  fish  lying  in  the  pools, 
it  is  only  a  very,  very  small  proportion  that  will  rise  to 
the  fly,  no  matter  how  skillful  the  angler  may  be,  no 
matter  how  patiently,  how  diligently  he  may  labor  with 
them.  So  well  recognized  is  this  fact,  that  in  your  Cana- 
dian Fisheries  Laws,  which  are  carefully  and  wisely  drawn, 
while  the  use  of  nets,  spears,  and  all  manner  of  other  de- 
vices for  the  capture  of  salmon  and  trout  is  absolutely 
forbidden  in  the  streams  under  heavy  penalties,  there  are 
no  restrictions  against  fly-fishing  during  the  entire  open 
season.  In  fact  the  law  specially  prescribes  'that  it  shall 
be  lawful  to  fish  for,  catch  and  kill  salmon  with  a  rod 
and  line  in  the  manner  known  as  fly  surface  fishing,'  and 
the  angler  may  get  his  lease  and  take  all  the  fish  his 
good  luck  will*  bring  to  gaff,  safe  in  the  confidence  that 
he  is  to  be  free  from'  all  molestation  whatever.  And  it 
is  a  wise  law ;  for  where  he  captures  with  the  fly  one 
fish,  scores  of  others  escape  his  efforts,  and  live  to  per- 
petuate their  species.  How  would  it  be  if  there  were 


HEADS  OF  SEA  TROUT. 


398  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

no  laws  forbidding  the  capture  of  these  fish  by  other 
methods,  unwise  and  wasteful  methods  as  they  have  been 
proven  to  be?  How  would  it  be  if  such  restrictive  laws 
were  not  enforced  ?  Let  me  give  you  a  single  illustration 
in  reply. 

"A  river  was  leased  by  three  or  four  gentlemen  for 
a  term  of  years.  They  were  enthusiastic,  diligent  anglers 
and  fly-fishermen,  who  had  taken  all  the  degrees  in  their 
art.  Their  whole  season  gave  a  score  of  only  eleven  sal- 
mon, yet  the  river  showed  an  abundance  of  fish  in  every 
pool.  In  one  night,  after  the  close  season  had  begun, 
sixty-five  salmon  were  netted  by  poachers  in  one  pool, 
and  later,  even  when  the  fish  were  on  their  spawning 
beds,  the  net  plied  its  deadly  work,  so  that  unquestion- 
ably several  hundred  of  the  fish  were  killed,  and  the  river 
was  almost  depleted. 

"That  river  is  now  so  well  guarded  that  poachers 
cannot  do  much  mischief,  but  if  there  were  no  laws  for- 
bidding such  shameful  waste,  how  long  would  it  be  before 
the  salmon  would  become  extinct  ? 

"The  fish  must  visit  the  fresh-water  streams  in  the 
breeding  season.  The  spawn  can  be  vivified  and  the 
young  produced  only  in  the  cool  living  waters  of  the 
rivers.  If  the  net  and  spear  and  seine  were  allowed  to 
do  their  work,  if  no  restrictive  laws  were  made,  how  many 


4oo  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

years  would  it  require  for  the  species  to  become  extinct? 
But  very,  very  few  indeed. 

"Now,  who  among  all  the  people,  among  all  the  fish- 
ermen, among  all  those  who  would  take  and  use  the  sal- 
mon, would  be  most  likely  to  endeavor  to  prevent  its  de- 
struction in  the  rivers?  Assuredly  almost  no  one  but  the 
angler,  the  fly-fisherman.  He  has  studied  the  habits  of 
the  fish,  he  knows  that  the  race  to  be  perpetuated  must 
visit  the  rivers,  and  he  knows  that  cooped  up  as  they  are 
in  the  narrow  limits  of  the  pools,  packed  together,  as  they 
sometimes  are,  as  closely  as  they  can  lie,  that  they  would 
be  absolutely  at  the  mercy  of  the  netter.  Therefore,  to 
preserve  the  race,  he  endeavors  to  secure  the  enactment 
of  wise  laws  for  its  preservation,  and  tries  to  secure  their 
enforcement." 

"The  poachers  are  a  hard  lot,"  said  William,  when 
I  had  ended,  "and  many  of  them  would  not  stop  at 
almost  any  crime." 

"You  are  right,"  I  replied,  "they  are  a  hard  lot,  and 
they  are  becoming  more  and  more  defiant.  So  reckless 
have  they  become  that  wardens  and  overseers  now  feel 
as  if  their  lives  are  in  danger  if  they  try  to  enforce  the 
laws.  In  fact  murder  of  wardens  has  already  been  done 
in  one  of  our  New  England  States,  and  also  of  a  lady, 
the  wife  of  a  visiting  sportsman,  in  your  own  Province  of 


4O2  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

New  Brunswick,  *  and  your  Fisheries  Reports  imply  that 
matters  are  growing  worse  and  worse,  the  lives  and  prop- 
erty of  wardens  being  constantly  in  jeopardy  if  they  en- 
deavor to  enforce  the  laws. 

"  But  let's  to  bed,"  I  continued,  arising  and  entering 
the  tent,  "we  cannot  sit  up  much  longer  without  making 
a  night  of  it." 

"Yes,"  answered  Frere,  "our  talk  was  so  engrossing 
I  had  no  idea  it  was  so  late." 

It    did    not    require    much    time    for    us    to    get    under 


*  On  the  Tobique  River ;  commenting  upon  which  I  find  in  the  Report  of  the 
Maine  Commissioners  of  Fisheries  and  Game,  jSSS,  the  following  extract  from  For- 
est and  Stream:  "  It  has  come  to  pass  nowadays  that  to  chronicle  all  events  con- 
nected with  shooting  and  fishing  means  to  devote  space  to  reports  which  properly 
belong  in  the  criminal  news  of  the  daily  press.  It  was  only  the  other  day  that  we 
recorded  the  murder  on  the  Tobique,  and  the  gross  miscarriage  of  justice,  by  which 
the  miscreants  escaped  righteous  punishment.  But  if  murderers  of  women  go  unhung 
in  New  Brunswick,  they  see  to  it  that  the  hemp  has  its  own  out  in  Wyoming. 
That  Territory  has  a  law  forbidding  the  killing  of  game  for  market.  In  spite  of 
this,  skin  hunters  and  meat  hunters  have  in  years  past  invaded  the  Territory  and 
plied  their  trade.  This  can  be  done  no  longer  with  impunity.  Public  feeling  is 
on  the  side  of  the  law."  Upon  which  the  Report  makes  the  following  comment: 
"Where  interference  with  game  la\v  breakers  has  resulted  in  personal  violence  and 
crime,  the  fact  has  stood  clearly  revealed  that  the  offenders  against  the  game  laws 
are  desperate  characters,  and  when  these  offenses  are  regarded  with  leniency,  the 
tone  of  the  community  is  abased.  It  was  so  with  the  Maine  Shacker  incendiaries, 
the  doggers  who  killed  the  Maine  wardens,  the  New  Brunswick  salmon  spearers, 
and  the  Wyoming  skin  hunters.  Lawlessness,  with  respect  to  one  class  of  statutes, 
here  means  rebellion  against  good  order  and  the  bonds  of  society.  Desperate  mis- 
creants who  break  the  game  laws  show  themselves  ready  to  stand  at  nothing,  not 
even  murder." 


404  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

the  blankets,  and  in  a  very  few  minutes  the  heavy  breath- 
ing of  my  companions  indicated  that  they  were  in  the 
land  of  dreams.  I  quickly  followed  them,  and  was  soon 
in  imagination  holding  a  poacher  with  one  hand  and  play- 
ing a  twenty-pound  salmon  with  the  other,  a  feat  which 
in  my  waking  moments  I  should  be  loth  to  undertake. 


CHAPTER    VI. 


THE  LAST  DAY  IN  CAMP.  •  SPAWNING  HABITS  OF  THE  SALMON.  •  SALMON 
RUNS.  •  THE  SEA  TROUT,  ITS  GAMENESS,  ITS  IDENTITY.  •  THE  WIN- 
NINISH.  •  LAKE  EDWARD.  •  LAKE  ST.  JOHN  AND  ITS  FISHING.  •  THE 
PERIBONCA  AND  THE  ASHUAPMOUCHOUAN  RIVERS.  •  THE  LAND-LOCKED 
SALMON. 


1  7OR  a  week  our  tent  remained  as  headquarters;  up 
^  the  stream  and  down  we  visited  the  various  pools 
within  three  or  four  miles,  and  we  had  glorious  success, 
every  pool  yielding  up  its  tribute  to  our  prowess.  Tough 
and  rugged  and  strong  we  became,  and  as  brown  as  gyp- 
sies. For  ten  days  we  had  now  lived  in  the  woods,  and 
they  were  ten  days  of  most  intense  enjoyment. 

The  time  was  rapidly  drawing  near  when  we  must 
return  again  to  the  civilized  world.  There  had  fallen 
but  little  rain,  and  the  river  was  pretty  low,  so  that  the 
prospect  for  running  down  the  stream  in  the  canoe  to 
the  mouth  of  the  river  was  not  of  the  best ;  and  it  was 
therefore  with  no  little  satisfaction  that  on  the  morning 


408  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

of  the  last  day  in  camp  we  beheld  the  clouds  gather- 
ing in  heavy  masses  in  the  west,  and  all  the  indications 
pointing  to  a  heavy  storm. 

Early  in  the  afternoon  the  rain  began,  and  for  six- 
teen solid  hours  poured  as  I  never  before  nor  since  have 
seen  it  come  down.  It  fell  literally  in  sheets,  and  if  we 
had  not  been  well  covered  we  should  have  had  an  un- 
comfortable time  of  it.  But  our  canvas  roof  gave  us 
perfect  protection,  and  aside  from  the  discomfort  of  be- 
ing obliged  to  keep  confined  so  closely  we  passed  the 
time  very  well. 

We  "killed  time"  telling  fishing  and  hunting  stories, 
and  from  these  we  naturally  drifted  into  discussing  the 
habits  of  various  fish,  particularly  the  sea  trout  and  sal- 
mon. In  reply  to  a  question  concerning  the  spawning 
habits  of  the  salmon,  William  said :  * 

"As  you  know,  when  they  first  come  into  the  river 
they  are  silvery -bright,  and  you  cannot  tell  the  males 
from  the  females  unless  you  examine  them  very  closely. 
But  after  a  while  the  male  becomes  very  dark  and  poor, 
and  his  lower  jaw  grows  very  long  and  hooked  at  the 
end.  Some  think  that  this  hook  comes  so  that  the  males 
can  fight  off  enemies  better,  but  I  believe  that  it  grows 
out  so  that  he  can  move  the  stones  with  it  in  the  spawn- 

*  Verbatim    from   my   notes. — E.    A.    S. 


<y 


4io  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

ing  beds  in  the  river.  He  roots  them  up,  good  sized 
ones,  too,  and  it  is  very  curious  watching  him.  The  fe- 
male seems  to  keep  her  shape,  but  the  male  becomes 
very  poor,  and  he  has  a  dark,  reddish  color  along  his 
belly.  They  generally  spawn  either  in  the  tail  of  a  pool 
or  at  the  head  of  it,  and  generally  in  from  one  to  three 
feet  of  water,  although  I  have  seen  them  spawning  in 
six  feet  of  water." 

"Yes,"  added  Hiram,  "and  it  is  very  interesting  to 
watch  them  making  their  nests ;  they  dig  out  a  hole  in 
the  stony  bottom,  rooting  out  the  stones  and  pebbles  all 
around,  and  when  the  hole  is  a  few  inches  deep  the  fe- 
male drops  her  spawn  in  it  and  then  the  male.  I  have 
seen  thirty  or  forty  of  these  nests  in  one  pool." 

"I  should  like  very  much  to  see  the  operation,"  said 
Frere;  "when  is  the  spawning  time  on  this  river?" 

"It  begins  generally  about  the  middle  of  September," 
replied  Hiram,  "and  the  fish  run  down  to  the  salt  water 
about  the  last  of  October  or  first  of  November.  Early 
in  October  is  the  best  time  to  watch  them ;  some  spawn 
early  and  some  late." 

"The  spent  salmon  we  call  slinks,"  said  William;  "I 
think  that  they  go  to  sea  and  return  about  the  first  of 
September  again,  for  I  have  at  that  time  seen  salmon 
come  up  the  river  fat  and  plump,  and  these  late  salmon 


412  With    Fly- Rod   and    Camera. 

spawn  when  ice  is  making  later  in  the  fall.  We  have, 
even  when  standing  on  the  ice  over  them,  seen  the  fish 
spawning,  and  they  will  take  bait  at  that  time;  I  don't 
say  that  they  will  all  take  bait,  but  I  have  known  of 
their  being  caught  with  the  flesh  of  trout." 

"I  think  you  are  mistaken,  William,"  said  I,  "in  be- 
lieving that  the  salmon  which  go  down  the  river  in  the 
fall  or  winter  return  in  September  in  the  next  year;  I 
believe  that  the  salmon  spawns  but  once  in  two  years, 
as  the  scientists  tell  us,  and  therefore  the  fish  that  go 
down  to  the  sea,  no  matter  how  early  or  how  late,  do 
not  come  back  until  the  next  second  year." 

"  May  be,"  replied  the  guide,  "  I  couldn't  say  certainly." 
"There  is  no  doubt  about  it,"  I  answered.  "I  have 
often  asked  the  question  of  the  men  who  handle  the  sal- 
mon at  different  hatcheries,  and  they  agree  that  the  fish 
that  leaves  the  river  after  shedding  its  spawn  does  not 
return  again  the  next  year.  In  fact  it  has  been  proved 
by  affixing  metal  tags*  to  the  dorsal  fin  of  the  fish,  and 
noting  when  they  returned." 

*  The  mode  of  marking  now  employed  is  the  attachment  of  a  small  aluminum 
tag,  by  means  of  fine  platinum  wire  to  the  rear  margin  of  the  first  dorsal  fin.  Each 
tag  is  stamped  with  a  number,  which  is  recorded,  together  with  the  sex,  length  and 
weight  of  the  fish,  the  date  when  liberated,  and  other  facts.  When,  therefore,  one 
of  these  fish  is  caught  again,  a  reference  to  the  record  will  show  the  length  of  time 
intervening  between  the  liberation  and  recapture  of  the  fish,  its  rate  of  growth  mean- 
while, and  various  other  facts. — Harper's  Magazine. 


With    Fly  -Rod   and    Camera. 


"  I  have  noticed  that  in  some  rivers  the  salmon  come 
in  early  in  the  season,  while  in  others  not  a  fish  is  seen 
till  fall,"  said  Hiram.  "How  do  you  account  for  that, 
Doctor?" 

"It  is  hard  to  account  for  it,"  I  answered,  "in  fact, 
impossible.  In  some  rivers  there  is  a  spring  run  and  no 
other,  in  some  there  is  a  fall  run  only,  and  in  others  the 
salmon  come  in  all  through  the  summer  and  early  fall, 
and  I  have  heard  that  in  some  rivers  the  salmon  run  up 
in  every  month  of  the  year.  Some  believe  that  the  fish 
return  to  the  river  to  spawn,  early  or  late  in  the  year, 
according  to  the  greater  or  less  distance  it  travels  in  the 
ocean  ;  but  this,  I  believe,  is  all  pure  conjecture,  for  noth- 
ing is  known  of  the  salt-water  life  of  the  salmon.  In 
some  rivers  it  begins  to  take  the  fly  very  early.  For 
instance,  in  one  or  two  of  the  Nova  Scotia  rivers  fresh- 
run  salmon  have  been  killed  on  the  fly  in  the  month  of 
February." 

"The  idea  of  fishing  in  mid-winter  seems  odd,"  said 
Frere. 

"Yes,"  I  answered,  "but  it  is  the  truth;  every  year 
a  record  has  been  kept  of  the  first  fish  taken,  and  it  is 
surprising  to  note  how  early  they  come." 

"The  influence  of  the  Gulf  Stream  is  plainly  seen 
in  this,"  said  Frere. 


416  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

"Yes,  the  Gulf  Stream  comes  very  close  to  the  Nova 
Scotia  shore,  and  no  doubt  it  explains  the  presence  of 
their  early  salmon,"  I  replied. 

"Some  of  the  sea  trout  that  we  get  on  the  Casca- 
pedia,"  said  William,  "give  almost  as  good  play  as  a  sal- 
mon. I  have  known  of  six  and  seven -pounders  being 
taken  on  the  fly,  and  a  seven-pound  sea  trout  will  give 
a  man  his  hands  full." 

"You  are  right,"  I  replied,  "but,  barring  accidents,  if 
your  sea  trout  is  hooked,  you  do  not  have  any  anxiety 
about  killing  him,  ultimately,  no  matter  how  big  he  may 
be,  for  his  mouth  is  very  tough,  and  he  has  none  of  the 
arts  and  tricks  of  which  the  salmon  is  such  a  master." 

"  No,  the  sea  trout  is  a  bold  fighter  and  a  strong 
one,"  said  Hiram,  "but  he  is  not  tricky." 

"What  is  your  opinion  concerning  the  identity  of  the 
sea  trout,  Doctor?"  asked  Frere.  "A  good  many  believe 
it  is  the  brook  or  spotted  trout  with  sea-going  habits." 

"  Now,  Frere,  I  confess  you  ask  me  a  poser,"  I  an- 
swered, "sometimes  I  feel  convinced  that  the  sea  trout  is 
a  distinct  variety,  and  again  I  am  almost  certain  it  is  our 
old  friend,  S.  fontinalis,  in  disguise.  Scientists  affirm  that 
this  is  the  case,  but  most  of  the  experienced  fishermen, 
those  who  have  for  years  handled  these  fish,  are  as  posi- 
tive that  the  fish  are  not  identical." 


With    Fly  -Rod   and    Camera. 


"We  guides  don't  think  they  are  the  same  fish,"  ex- 
claimed William. 

"Not  by  a  good  deal,"  added  Hiram,  "it  is  easy  to 
tell  one  from  the  other." 

"Yes,"  said  I,  "I  have  thought  so,  and  think  so  now; 
it  seems  to  me  that  in  a  thousand  specimens  of  the  two 
varieties  1  could  separate  the  individuals  of  one  from  the 
other,  unerringly." 

"And  so  could  I,"  exclaimed  both  of  the  guides  sim- 
ultaneously. 

"You  think  you  could,"  I  continued,  "but  you  would 
be  puzzled  sometimes.  I  have  taken  fish  that  1  consid- 
ered to  be  sea  trout  which  had  been  long  in  the  river, 
almost  as  dark  as  the  ordinary  spotted  brook  or  river 
trout;  this,  mind  you,  in  pools  away  up  the  river,  many 
miles  from  the  sea,  yet  in  the  same  pools,  and  at  the 
same  time,  I  have  killed  others  which  were  as  silvery  as 
if  they  had  just  run  up. 

"Again  I  have  taken  undoubted  bright-spotted  and 
colored  brook  trout  in  great  numbers  in  a  branch  of  a 
river  or  'logan,'  and  among  them  there  would  not  be 
a  single  silvery  fish  ;  but  in  the  river  itself,  even  at  or 
near  the  mouth  of  the  'logan,'  not  ten  rods  from  the 
spot  where  I  took  the  others,  I  caught  numbers  of  the 
silvery  fish  and  not  one  of  the  spotted  trout.  Again  I 


420  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

have  taken  the  undoubted  spotted  trout  in  the  slack  water 
of  the  river,  in  fact  at  the  head  of  tidewater,  which  were 
as  highly  colored  as  any  I  ever  saw,  and  at  the  same 
time  have  taken  the  silvery-bright  fish  which  had  just  left 
the  sea.  It  puzzles  me  to  decide.  Scientists  insist  that 
the  carmine  spots  which  appear  on  the  sides  of  the  sea 
trout  after  they  have  been  in  the  river  a  long  time,  to- 
'gether  with  the  same  number  of  rays  or  spines  in  the 
fins,  prove  their  identity,  but  I  have  seen  many  very  dark 
colored  sea  trout  that  did  not  show  the  carmine  spots  at 
all.  In  all  the  rivers  that  I  have  ever  visited  the  sea 
trout  return  to  the  salt  water  after  they  have  spawned, 
but  the  river  or  spotted  trout  remain  in  the  fresh  water 
all  winter. 

"As  an  example,  I  visited  the  Jacquet  River  last  No- 
vember for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  specimens  of  the  sea 
trout  for  the  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology  at  Cam- 
bridge ;  but  not  a  single  one  could  I  obtain,  although  I 
visited  pools  which  had  teemed  with  them  in  the  sum- 
mer, but  the  spotted  trout  were  there  in  numbers;  at 
Campbellton,  however,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Restigouche, 
I  had  no  difficulty  in  getting  all  I  wanted,  and  they  were 
all  silvery-white!" 

"  No,  the  sea  trout  and  spotted  trout  are  two  dif- 
ferent fish,  altogether,"  exclaimed  Hiram,  when  I  had  fin- 


422  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

ished;  "the  spotted  trout  don't  go  down  to  the  salt  water 
at  all,  but  live  in  the  river  all  the  time,  and  they  do  not 
change  their  color  very  much  all  the  year ;  but  the  sea 
trout  become  bright  as  soon  as  they  get  into  the  salt 
water." 

"  It's  a  difficult  problem  to  solve,"  said  Frere,  "  I  con- 
fess I  have  been  puzzled  a  good  deal,  and  I  am  not  sat- 
isfied in  my  own  mind  now." 

"The  sea  trout  has  been  supposed  by  some  not  very 
acute  observers  to  be  a  young  salmon,"  said  I  ;  "what 
is  your  opinion  on  that  point?" 

"I  don't  believe  it  is  the  case,'1  replied  Frere,  "the 
grilse,  which  we  know  to  be  a  young  salmon,  is  entirely 
different  from  the  trout ;  I  have  taken  sea  trout  of  seven 
pounds'  weight,  but  a  grilse  of  that  weight  would  be  a 
salmon.  No,  the  sea  trout  is  either  a  distinct  species  or 
it  is  the  fontinalis,  with  sea-going  habits." 

"Another  fish  has  also  bothered  me  concerning  its 
identity,"  said  I,  "and  that  is  the  winninish  or  land- 
locked salmon  of  Lake  St.  John,  P.  O.  I  made  a  visit 
to  the  lake  last  year  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  speci- 
mens and  establishing  its  identity,  and  have  now  come 
to  the  conclusion  that  it  is  identical  with  the  land-locked 
salmon  of  the  Schoodic  lakes,  and  they  are  both  varieties 
of  the  sea  salmon." 


424  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

"Tell  me  about  Lake  St.  John,"  said  Frere,  "I  have 
heard  much  of  it  and  have  long  felt  a  desire  to  visit  it." 

"Willingly,"  I  replied,  "and  if  you  visit  the  lake  you 
will  not  regret  it." 

"To  reach  it,"  said  I,  "you  take  cars  at  Quebec  on 
the  Quebec  &  Lake  St.  John  Railroad.  The  journey 
occupies  the  entire  day,  the  line  being  about  two  hun- 
dred miles  in  length,  and  is  largely  through  long'  tracts 
of  almost  unbroken  forest.  All  along  the  line  are  mag- 
nificent rivers  and  lakes,  and  the  region  that  this  road 
has  opened  up  to  the  sportsman  and  tourist  is  among 
the  finest.  The  principal  of  the  lakes  on  the  line,  and 
one  hundred  and  thirteen  miles  from  Quebec,  is  Lake 
Edward,  and  if  you  are  inclined  to  try  the  trout  which 
abound  in  this  lake  you  will  stop  over  here  for  a  day 
or  two.  You  will  find  it  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water, 
twenty-one  miles  in  length,  and  full  of  picturesque  islands 
and  bounded  by  romantic  shores. 

"At  the  Grand  Discharge,  at  the  head  of  J cannot 
River,  and  down  its  course,  you  will  find  myriads  of 
trout,  all  fontinalis,  and  the  lake  swarms  with  them  of 
all  sizes  up  to  five  or  six  pounds'  weight.  I  saw  in  the 
ice  house  in  one  lot  over  twenty  that  would  exceed  three 
pounds  each.  The  fish  are  very  highly  colored  and  fairly 
well  flavored,  but  not  so  nice  as  sea  trout. 


r 


o* 

OH' 


426  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

"  Leaving  Lake  Edward  you  resume  your  journey  to 
Lake  St.  John,  the  home  of  the  gamy  winninish.  When 
I  visited  the  lake  the  train  connected  with  the  pioneer 
steamer,  the  Peribonca,  and  on  this  boat  I  had  a  two  or 
three  hours'  sail  to  the  Hotel  Roberval,  one  of  the  most 
comfortable  and  best  kept  hotels  in  Canada,  and  the  voy- 
age gave  me  a  pretty  good  idea  of  the  capabilities  of  the 
lake  in  getting  up  heavy  seas,  some  of  them  breaking 
clear  over  the  boat.  I  do  not  remember  of  ever  before 
being  out  in  such  rough  water  in  so  small  a  boat,  and 
it  almost  seemed  at  times  as  if  we  were  likely  to  be 
swamped.  The  cars  now  run  to  the  village  of  Roberval, 
and  a  trip  in  the  steamer  is  not  necessary.  It  is  truly 
a  vast  body  of  water,  nearly  fifty  miles  in  length,  and 
from  twenty  to  forty  in  width.  Emptying  into  it  are,  I 
believe,  eleven  large  rivers,  besides  many  smaller  streams. 
I  had  but  little  time  to  explore  any  of  these  rivers,  and 
visited  but  three  or  four.  Two  of  these,  the  Peribonca 
and  Ashuapmouchouan,  are  of  great  size  and  length. 

"The  Peribonca  has  been,  I  am  informed,  ascended 
by  Indians  and  trappers  something  like  six  hundred  miles. 
At  its  mouth  it  is  of  about  the  width  and  volume  of  the 
Connecticut  River  at  Springfield.  For  quite  a  distance 
it  is  navigable  by  steamer,  and  its  inflow  into  the  lake 
is  something  enormous. 


OUIATCHOUAX  FALLS,  NEAR  LAKE  ST.  JOHN,  P.  Q. 


428  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

"The  Ashuapmouchouan  River  is  also  a  very  large 
stream.  At  St.  Felicienne,  which  is,  I  think,  about  ten 
miles  above  the  lake,  I  found  the  river  to  be  of  about 
the  size  of  the  Merrimac  at,  say,  midway  between  Law- 
rence and  Haverhill,  or  about  the  size  of  the  Restigouche 
at  its  junction  with  the  Matapedia,  perhaps  a  little  larger. 
Now  with  this  enormous  lake,  and  with  all  these  rivers 
emptying  into'  it,  there  is  practically  an  unlimited  water 
system,  which  undoubtedly  furnishes  the  best  possible  con- 
ditions for  the  preservation,  growth,  and  wide  and  gen- 
eral diffusion  of  the  Salmonida  that  here  find  a  home. 
Establishing  this  fact  at  once  in  my  mind,  I  of  course 
made  inquiries  of  every  one  who  could  give  me  any  in- 
formation, and  learned  from  all  sources  that  the  winninish 
are  very  abundant  in  the  lake  in  early  June,  and  even 
earlier  if  the  ice  melts  about  the  shores,  and  the  fish  are 
taken  readily  with  bait,  and  even  with  the  fly,  at  that 
early  season.  So  very  abundant  are  they  in  fact,  that, 
as  I  was  informed,  even  boys  and  girls,  as  well  as  older 
fishermen,  might  be  seen  landing  the  fish  with  all  sorts 
of  tackle,  from  the  most  primitive  to  the  most  elaborate. 
As  regards  the  great,  the  astonishing  abundance  of  the 
winninish  in  the  early  part  of  the  season,  the  statement 
made  by  all  informants  coincided,  so  that  I  have  no  doubt 
that  at  the  period  I  have  named,  this  magnificent  game 


'  A  TROPHY,  THIS. 


43°  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

fish  may  be  obtained  in  great  numbers.  The  fish  are  so 
abundant,  and  come  to  the  lure  so  greedily,  that  the  num- 
ber one  may  kill  is  as  great  as  his  selfishness  may  limit. 
Later  in  the  season  the  winninish  move  into  the  deep 
waters  of  the  lake  and  into  the  cold  streams. 

"A  favorite  haunt  of  theirs  seems  to  IDC  the  Grand 
Discharge,  the  outlet  of  the  lake  into  the  head  of  the 
Saguenay  River,  where,  in  the  rushing  waters  of  the  rapids 
and  wildest  of  all  whirlpools  and  eddies,  the  winninish  are 
taken  with  the  fly  until  late  in  .September. 

"I  have  called  the  winninish  a  land-locked  salmon, 
but  it  is  not  debarred  from  leaving  the  lake  and  descend- 
ing the  river  Saguenay  to  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  is  there- 
fore not  land-locked;  and,  as  I  said  before,  I  can  see  no 
difference  whatever  between  this  species  and  the  so-called 
land-locked  salmon  of  the  Schoodic  Lakes,  called  by  sci- 
entists Schoodic  or  Sebago  salmon,  which  is  also  not  land- 
locked. * 


*  Regarding  the  Schoodic  salmon  Mr.  George  A.  Boardman,  of  C'alais,  a  gen- 
tleman well  known  as  a  good  observer,  writes  me:  "I  do  not  regard  the  fish  a 
land-locked  salmon,  for  the  water  must  always  have  had  an  outlet  to  the  sea,  and 
the  fish  could  go  if  they  choose ;  and  in  fact,  when  I  was  a  boy,  sixty  years  ago, 
they  were  abundant  in  the  river  even  to  the  salt  water." 

Per  contra,  Hon.  E.  M.  Stilwell,  Commissioner  of  Fisheries  and  Game  for  the 
State  of  Maine,  writes  me:  "There  has  been  an  increase  in  the  size  of  the  fish 
since  1883,  according  to  the  record  kept  by  Charles  G.  Atkins,  the  Government  super- 
intendent of  the  hatchery  at  Grand  Lake  Stream : 


43 2  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

"  I  believe  that  the  winninish  and  the  so-called  land- 
locked salmon  recuperate  and  change  exactly  like  the  sea 
salmon ;  but  instead  of  doing  it  in  the  sea  they  probably 
recover  their  condition  and  color  in  the  great  lakes,  where 
they  reside.  I  say  probably,  because  it  is  not  absolutely 
proved  that  they  do  not  visit  the  salt  water,  although  I 
am  of  the  firm  belief  that  they  do  not,  and  this  belief 
is  founded  on  the  great  amount  of  information  that  I  have 
been  able  to  derive  from  various  sources.  Both  the  wrin- 


In    1883,    289   male     fish   averaged    3.20   Ibs.    and   measured    20.00   in. 
"        "       314   female    "  3.00      "       "  19.10    " 

"    1885,     198    male       "  3.85      "       "  21.05     " 

"        "       577   female    "  3.81      "       "  20.60    " 

"    1886,     247    male       "  3.46      "       "  20.50    " 

"        "       5°3    female    "  3-79      ""  20. 10    " 

"An  experienced  guide  gives  me  2*4  Ibs.  as  the  average  weight  of  the  fish  caught 
during  the  fly-fishing  season.  I  have  heard  of  fish  of  5  and  even  6  Ibs.  being  taken 
through  the  ice.  At  Sebago  last  year  we  had  at  our  spawning  works  one  male  land- 
locked salmon  of  27  Ibs. ;  several  females  of  25  Ibs.  and  20  Ibs.  down  to  5  Ibs.  I 
once  did  not  believe  in  land -locking,  I  do  now.  I  have  never  found  the  land-locked 
salmon  indigenous  to  any  of  the  waters  of  Maine  without  the  smelt.  I  have  found 
the  smelt  far  inland,  separated  by  impassable  barriers  of  rock  from  the  ocean,  where 
it  could  never  have  ascended,  and  which  it  must  have  reached  before  some  great  con- 
vulsion of  nature  had  isolated  and  land-locked  it.  I  know  of  several  ponds  where 
the  smelt  exists  in  abundance.  I  do  not  know  of  one  single  instance  in  which  the 
land-locked  salmon  has  been  found  without  the  smelt.  If  the  salmon  ever  was  land- 
locked without  the  smelt  it  perished.  The  salmon  in  California  has  been  repeatedly 
land-locked  by  mining  operations,  and  they  survived  and  bred.  The  land-locked  sal- 
mon of  Grand  Lake  is  the  same  species  precisely  in  size,  weight,  etc.,  as  is  to  be 
found  in  the  chain  of  ponds  emptying  into  the  Sebec  River.  At  Reed's  Pond,  on 
the  Ellsworth  Road,  about  twelve  miles  from  Bangor,  you  will  find  the  same  land- 
locked salmon  that  we  have  at  Sebago,  attaining  to  12  and  20  Ibs.  The  near  vicinity 
of  the  ocean  seems  to  have  effected  the  size  of  these  fish." 


a 
8  £ 


434  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

ninish  and  the  Schoodic  salmon  may  visit  the  salt  water 
if  they  desire,  and  I  am  not  at  all  certain  but  that  in- 
dividuals go  up  and  down  the  Saguenay  River.  It  is  a 
very  important  point  yet  to  be  solved.  * 

"While  at  Hotel  Roberval  you  must  not  fail  to  visit 
the  camp  or  village  of  the  celebrated  Montagnais  Indians, 
at  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  station  near  the  hotel, 
and  you  will  be  particularly  fortunate  if  you  are  present 
at  one  of  their  great  annual  meetings  or  councils. 

*  Prof.  Goode,  in  the  report  of  the  U.  S.  Commissioners,  published  in  1884, 
says:  "All  of  the  family  \Salmonida  \  run  into  very  shoal  water,  and  usually  to  the 
sources  of  streams,  to  deposit  their  eggs,  and  all  of  them  seek  food  and  cool  tem- 
peratures in  the  largest  and  deepest  bodies  of  water  accessible.  I  am  inclined  to 
the  view  that  the  natural  habitat  of  the  salmon  is  in  the  fresh  waters,  the  more 
so  since  there  are  so  many  instances  —  such  as  that  of  the  Stortmontfield  Ponds  in 
England  —  where  it  has  been  confined  for  years  in  lakes  without  apparent  detriment. 
The  'land-locked'  salmon,  or  '  fresh -water'  salmon,  known  also  in  the  Saguenay  re- 
gion as  '  winninish,'  in  the  Shubenacadie  and  other  rivers  of  western  Nova  Scotia  as 
the  'grayling,'  and  in  different  parts  of  Maine  as  'Schoodic  trout,'  ' Sebago  trout,' 
or  'dwarf  salmon,'  probably  never  visit  salt  water,  finding  ample  food  and  exercise 
in  the  lakes  and  large  rivers.  In  some  regions  in  Maine  and  New  Brunswick  their 
access  to  salt  water  is  cut  off  by  dams,  and  some  investigators  have  claimed  that 
land-locked  salmon  did  not  exist  until  these  obstructions  were  built,  some  fifty  years 
ago.  This  hypothesis,  however,  is  not  necessary,  for  in  the  Saguenay  the  winninish 
have  easy,  unobstructed  access  to  the  sea.  The  habits  of  successive  gen- 

erations become  hereditary  traits,  and  the  difference  in  their  life  histories  seems  to 
justify  the  claim  of  the  land-locked  salmon  to  be  regarded  as  a  variety  of  Salmo 
salar,  though  it  is  hardly  to  be  distinguished  except  by  its  lesser  size  and  some  slight 
peculiarities  in  coloration.  It  is  to  be  designated  at  Salmo  salar,  variety  sebago. 
Although  both  originated  in  the  same  primitive  stock,  it  is  not  probable  that  one 
changes  to  the  other,  except  after  many  generations,  under  the  influence  of  forced 
changes  in  their  environment." 


--  Q 


436  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera, 

"There  is  in  this  region  an  immense  variety  of  scen- 
ery, and  within  a  day's  ride  from  Roberval  in  all  direc- 
tions you  will  find  marvels  of  the  grand  and  picturesque. 

"On  'some  of  the  rivers  which  empty  into  Lake  St. 
John  are  magnificent  views.  The  Metabetchouan  Falls,  on 
the  river  of  the  same  name,  are  particularly  fine.  The 
Ouiatchouan  Falls,  on  the  river  of  that  name,  are  also 
grand,  and  for  height  are  among  the  foremost,  these  be- 
ing of  one  hundred  feet  greater  altitude  than  Niagara 
Falls." 

"  I  declare,  Doctor,"  said  Frere,  when  I  had  done, 
"  I  believe  I  will  try  the  land-locks  next  season,  and  I 
am  undecided  which  to  visit,  those  at  Lake  St.  John  or 
the  Schoodics." 

"Try  both,"  I  said,  "and  give  me  your  opinion  as 
to  their  identity;  but,"  I  continued,  as  I  lighted  a  match 
and  looked  at  my  watch,  "we  had  better  go  to  sleep; 
it's  past  eleven  o'clock,  and  we  have  had  talk  enough  to 
make  us  sleep  soundly." 

"Sleep  it  is,"  said  Frere,  and  pulling  up  our  blankets 
around  our  shoulders,  we  were  soon  accompanying  the 
guides  in  their  nasal  serenade. 


Q  w 
w 

%  fe 
o 

&H          O 

oo 

5  g 

H    2: 

.       "*^ 

u  K 


CHAPTER    VII. 


THE  MORNING  OF  OUR  LAST  DAY  ON  THE  RIVER.  A  RISE  IN  THE  RIVER. 
LONG  CASTS.  •  EXCELLENCE  OF  THE  SPLIT  -BAMBOO  ROD.  •  ABOUT  FLY- 
CASTING  TOURNAMENTS.  •  EXCITEMENT  IN  RUNNING  RAPIDS.  •  A  RISE. 
AN  EXCITING  STRUGGLE.  •  A  STUBBORN  SALMON.  •  LANDED  IN  A  NOVEL 
MANNER.  •  GREAT  SPORT.  •  CHARMS  ATTENDING  THE  ANGLER'S  J,iiE. 
BEAUTIFUL  THOUGHTS  ON  ANGLING  BY  DIFFERENT  AUTHORS.  •  RETROSPEC- 
TIVE ANGLING.  •  AT  THE  THIRD  POOL  AGAIN.  A  NARROW  ESCAPE  FROM 
AN  ACCIDENT.  •  A  SOUVENIR.  •  FRERE  RISES  A  GOOD  FISH.  •  A  GRAND 
BATTLE.  •  TRIUMPH.  •  GIVE  THE  GUIDES  A  CHANCE.  •  HIRAM  RISES  A 
SALMON  AND  LANDS  IT  AFTER  A  SHORT  STRUGGLE.  •  NOTIONAL  PEOPLE  ARE 
GUIDES.  •  WILLIAM  HAS  HIS  INNING  ALSO.  •  VALEDICTORY. 


AWOKE  at  an  early  hour  on  the  following 
morning,  and  found  that  the  rain  had  ceased, 
and  the  clouds  which  were  drifting  away  to  the  east- 
ward, were  lifting  rapidly  and  breaking  into  fragments 
of  purple  and  gold. 

"It's  to  be  a  fair  day,  sir,"  said  William,  who  was 
busily  engaged  in  splitting  up  an  old  pine  log  for  fire 
wood;  "we'll  have  a  good  time  running  to  the  mouth 
of  the  river." 


44°  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

"Yes,"  added  Frere,  who  had  now  joined  us,  "it 
rained  very  hard  all  night,  and  the  river  must  have  swol- 
len a  good  deal." 

"The  river  rose  a  foot  and  a  half  last  night,"  ex- 
claimed Hiram,  who  had  been  washing  potatoes  in  the 
stream  and  cleaning  trout  for  our  breakfast,  "and  the 
water  is  very  dark  and  rily.  We'll  have  a  good  day's 
sport  going  down,  sure." 

"That's  good,"  I  replied,  as  I  toasted  myself  before 
the  fire,  which  was  now  blazing  merrily;  "our  last  day 
on  the  stream  ought  to  be  a  good  one." 

"It  will,  it  will,  no  trouble,"  said  William,  "we  will 
pack  as  soon  as  we  can  after  breakfast." 

"We'll  start  it  now,"  I  exclaimed,  "while  we're  wait- 
ing for  breakfast,"  and  Frere  and  I  began  at  once  to  get 
our  belongings  together  for  packing. 

Our  blankets  and  extra  clothes  we  hung  on  poles 
out  on  the  beach,  where  the  breeze,  which  was  blowing 
down  the  stream,  together  with  the  warmth  of  the  sun 
whose  rays  now  began  to  glisten  through  the  trees,  could 
reach  them,  and  all  our  other  traps  we  stored  away  in 
their  other  receptacles. 

As  fast  'as  we  packed  we  carried  our  things  down  to 
the  beach  near  the  canoe,  and  in  a  short  time  the  tent 
was  entirely  emptied. 


44  2  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

"We  had  better  leave  the  tent  standing  until  the  last 
moment  before  we  start,"  said  Frere,  "it  will  dry  off  a 
good  deal,  and  will  thus  be  lighter  in  the  canoe." 

A  half  hour  quickly  passed  away,  when  breakfast  was 
announced,  and  after  a  hasty  toilet  we  gathered  around 
the  table  and  ate  our  last  breakfast  on  the  river  for  that 
outing. 

A  royal  good  meal  it  was,  and  we  partook  of  "it  with 
robust  appetites,  and  when  we  had  done,  the  remnants 
that  we  left  would  have,  as  Hiram  expressed  it,  "hardly 
made  a  meal  for  a  boy." 

As  soon  as  we  had  finished,  Frere  and  I  prepared  our 
tackle  for  the  day's  work,  while  the  guides  washed  the 
dishes  and  cooking  utensils  and  packed  everything  snugly 
in  the  canoe.  While  they  were  thus  engaged  Frere  be- 
gan casting  below  the  rapids,  but  not  a  rise  did  he  get, 
for  the  water  poured  down  over  the  rocks  and  shale  a 
raging,  foaming  torrent. 

"By  Jove,"  said  he,  "I  hope  we  haven't  got  too 
much  of  a  good  thing,  there's  a  tremendous  current,  and 
the  water  is  very  dark." 

"Never  fear,"  I  answered,  "we'll  slide  down  stream 
all  the  better,  and  though  there  may  be  too  much  water 
for  the  fishing  to  be  good  in  the  very  deep  pools,  we'll 
have  all  the  sport  we  want  in  the  others." 


<y 


444  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

"  I  hope  so,'  he  answered,  putting  out  a  line  that 
reached  almost  across  the  pool;  "and,  if  we  get  no  fish, 
we'll  have  the  air  and  exercise,  anyhow,"  he  added,  with 
a  laugh. 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "and  you  seem  to  be  having  a 
share  of  the  exercise  now ;  how  under  the  sun  do  you 
get  out  such  a  length  of  line?"  I  continued,  taking  my 
rod  and  preparing  to  cast,  "  I  don't  believe  I  could  reach 
half  your  distance,"  and  I  took  a  position  near  him  and 
tried,  but  without  success  to  reach  the  distance  at  which 
his  fly  was  dropping. 

"It  would  be  a  wonder  if  you  did,"  he  replied,  "for 
your  tackle  is  not  right  for  it.  In  the  first  place,  my 
heavy  greenheart  is  longer  than  your  split -bamboo,  and 
is  a  much  better  rod  every  way  for  a  long  cast ;  while 
being  supple,  it  is  astonishingly  even  all  through,  and  it 
sweeps  a  line  tremendously.  In  the  next  place,  my  line 
is  considerably  heavier  than  yours,  and  that  counts.  For 
distance  my  tackle  would  beat  yours  every  time,  I  am 
very  sure,  but  for  delicacy  I  like  your  bamboo  and  light 
outfit." 

"Yes,  I  like  the  bamboo,"  said  I,  "and,  taking  it  day 
in  and  day  out,  it  is  a  jewel.  I  don't  think  it  would 
kill  a  heavy  fish  in  so  short  a  time  as  your  big  green- 
heart,  but  it  is  a  darling,  all  the  same." 


METABETCHOUAN  FALLS,  P.  Q. 


446  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

"Yes,"  he  replied,  "I  like  it,  and  when  I  get  a  new 
rod,  shall  change  for  one  like  yours." 

"I'm  glad  to  hear  it,"  I  answered,  "most  of  my  friends 
go  equipped  with  split -bamboos,  and  they  seem  to  give 
general  satisfaction.  I  visited  a  fly -casting  tournament  in 
New  York  recently,  *  and  all  the  competitors  used  one." 

"Ah,  a  tournament!"  he  exclaimed,  "we  have  them 
in  England,  but  I  have  never  seen  one  on  this  "side  of 
the  water.  I  suppose  the  competitors  did  something  hand- 
some." 

"Well,"  I  replied,  "to  tell  you  the  truth  I  cannot  say 
they  made  remarkable  scores,  but  they  had  to  contend 
against  a  strong  quartering  breeze,  which  marred  their 
work.  Again,  they  cast  for  distance  principally,  while  we 
on  the  river  try  more  for  delicacy  than  for  anything  else. 
The  two-handed  casting  was  made  by  all  the  competitors 
with  the  same  rod,  a  heavy  split-bamboo  salmon  rod,  and 
that  was  against  them.  Imagine  me  going  into  such  a 
contest  with  a  rod  with  which  I  was  not  acquainted,  your 
greenheart,  for  instance." 

"In    one    sense    it   was    fair,"    said    Frere. 

"Yes,"  I  answered,  "it  put  all  the  contestants  on  a 
level,  that  is,  if  neither  one  of  them  was  familiar  with  the 
action  of  that  particular  rod ;  however,  the  casting  was, 

*  At   Central   Park,    May   23   and    24,    iSSg. 


448  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

all  things  considered,  very  creditable,   although   it   did   not 
beat   the    record    of   previous    years."  * 

"All  ready,  gentlemen,"  exclaimed  William,  as  he  and 
Hiram  stowed  away  the  rolled-up  tent  on  the  boxes  and 
bags  in  the  canoe.  "  I  think  we  had  better  run  right 

*  The   score   was   as    follows : 

First   Dav. 

CASTING  WITH   SINGLE-HANDED   FLY- ROD   (AMATEURS). 

Length  Weight        Distance 

Contestants.  of  Rod.  of  Rod.  Cast.       Accuracy.       Total. 

Ft.    In.  Oz.  Ft. 


P.  C.   Hewitt 10     05               8^  73  27             100 

R.    B.    Lawrence ii     oo             10  54  . .                54 

W.  E.   Blackford n     01              10^  71  10               81 

James  L.   Breeze 10     10             IOX  74  -°               94 

Gonzalo   Poey 1 1     oo               8%  71  19               90 

Second    J)av. 

Length   of  Rod.       Weight  of  Rod.      Dist.  Cast. 

Contestants.                                       pt_     jn  Qz  pf 

R.   T.   Mayhew 1 1     08  n^'  68 

P.  C.   Hewitt ii     oo  io£(  96 

Archibald   Mitchell 10     ii  9^  76 

W.   E.   Blackford n     oo  10^  85 

Gonzalo   Poey 1 1      oo  8^£  70 

R.   C.    Leonard 10     1 1  9^  97  '/£ 

R.   B.    Lawrence 1 1     oo  10  89 

*James  L.   Breeze 10     n  10^  90 

*  T.   B.   Mills n     oo  10^  90 

Ed.   Eggert 1 1     <>6  10^  79 

*  On  the  cast-off  Breeze  scored  96  ft.   and  Mills  100  ft. 

CASTING   WITH   SINGLE-HANDED    FLY- ROD   (EXPERTS   AND   AMATEURS). 

Length   of  Rod.       Weight  of  Rod.      Dist.   Cast. 

Contestants.                                       pt      /„  QZ  pt 

P.  C.   Hewitt ii     03  10^  83 

R.  C.    Leonard 1 1     05  10^  82^ 

Ed.   Eggert 1 1     06  10^  66 

Archibald   Mitchell 1 1     oo  10^  67 

Gonzalo   Poey ii     oo  8^  &4/4 

T.  B.   Mills ii     oo  10^:  75^ 


With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera.  449 

down,   and  not   fish   the   next   two   pools ;    they  will   be  too 
full,    and    begin    with    the    Red    Ledge    Pool." 

LIGHT    ROD   CONTEST. 
Second    Day. 

Length   of  Rod.       Weight   of  Rod.      Dint.  Cast. 
Contestants.  Ft      jn  Oz  F( 

R.  B.    Lawrence ..  10  oo  5  85 

*  T.  B.    Mills 10  oo  5  86 

*  J.   L.   Breeze 10  oo  5  86 

R.  C.   Leonard 9  08  5  90 

P.   C.   Hewitt 10  oo  5  85^ 

*  On  the  cast-off  Mills  scored  Szl4  ft.  and  Breeze  80  ft. 

CASTING  WITH   SALMON   ROD. 
First    Day. 
Length   of  Rod.       Weight  of  Rod.      Dist.  Cast. 


Contestants. 


Ft.     In.  Oz.  Ft. 


R.  C.   Leonard 1800  37  112^ 

T.   B.   Mills 18     oo  37  94 

A.   Mitchell 18     oo  37  97 

P.  C.  Hewitt 1 8     oo  37  105 

J.   L.  Breeze 18     oo  37  101 

Ed.  Eggert 15     09  32  86 

Mr.    G.    Poey,    Secretary   of    the    National    Rod    and    Reel   Association,    has   kindly 
furnished    me    the    following    abstract    of    scores    in    previous    years.       He    says: 

"In    former   years' we    have   had   casters   who   have   passed    70  ft.,    as    follows: 

Martin  Culhane 1882  ..    76  feet.  Thos.  J.   Conroy 1884  ..   71  feet. 

H.  C.  Thorne 1883  ..So      "  W.   H.  Goodwin 1885  ..76      " 

W.   E.   Hendrix 1883  ..78      "  C.  G.   Levison 1887  ..83      " 

C.  A.    Rauch 1883  ..70      "  T.   B.   Stewart 1887  ..    75  "4  " 

Geo.   J.   Varney 1883  .  .   Si      "  G.  Johnston 1887  ..76      " 

C.   A.    Rauch 1884  ..    80      "  C.  A.    Bryan.. 1887  ..70      " 

Samuel  Polhemus 1884  ..    77^"  A.   F.  Dresel 1887  ..74      " 

A.   D.    Leonard 1884  ..    7714  "  P.  J.   Silvernail 1887  ..So      " 

M.    E.    Hawes 1884  ..80      "  James  Rice.. 1887  ..75      " 

Mr.    Poey    adds:       "From    the    above    you  will    see    that    the    Association    counts 

some   pretty  fair  casters   among   its   members.  A  man  who  can  cast   80  ft. ,   when  at 

actual   fishing    will    have   perfect    control  of    his  line    at    60  ft. ;    and   if  at   any  time  he 

wants  to  extend  for  a   rise  at  70  ft.    he   can   do  it,    while  the  average   angler  who  con- 
siders   50  ft.    all    needful    cannot   get    there." 


45°  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

Lighting  my  newly-filled  pipe,  I  took  my  seat  in  the 
birch,  and  Frere  followed  me ;  the  guides  shoved  off,  and 
in  a  few  moments  we  were  in  the  roar  and  boil  of  the 
first  rapids.  What  is  there  more  gloriously  exciting  than 
a  run  down  a  series  of  tumultuous  rapids? 

The  canoe,  guided  by  the  powerful  arms  of  a  stal- 
wart man  in  the  bow  and  another  in  the  stern,  enters  the 
mass  of  seething  foam,  and  in  an  instant  darts  down  the 
steep  incline ;  sharp  rocks  and  massive  boulders,  thrusting 
their  heads  above  the  water,  or  lurking  hidden  beneath  it, 
threaten  the  frail  craft  on  every  side. 

In  such  a  raging  current,  to  strike  one  of  these  is 
almost  certain  destruction  to  the  canoe,  and  to  its  occu- 
pant almost  certain  death ;  for  good  fortune  alone  could 
save  even  the  stoutest  swimmer  if  thrown  into  such  a  re- 
sistless stream. 

With  skilled  canoemen  to  manage  the  craft — and  none 
others  should  for  a  moment  be  relied  on — there  is,  how- 
ever, but  little  danger.  The  steel-pointed  setting  pole  is 
handled  deftly,  now  warding  the  canoe  off  from  a  threat- 
ening rock  on  one  side,  and  in  an  instant,  perhaps,  from 
one  on  the  other,  and  the  canoe  passes  with  almost  the 
rapidity  of  thought  through  the  roar,  amid  all  the  dan- 
gers seen  and  unseen,  into  the  smoother  water  below. 

Hiram  and  William  were  masters  in  the  art  of  canoe 


452  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

handling,    and    we    safely   passed    the    two    series    of    rapids 
in    a    very    few    minutes. 

"Ah,  Doctor,"  exclaimed  Frere,  as  he  stepped  out  of 
the  canoe  upon  the  beach  opposite  Red  Ledge,  "that  was 
a  grand  run  through  those  rapids.  I  always  enjoy  such 
a  spin,  even  if  it  is  as  rough  as  we  had  it  to-day." 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "it  is  something  worth  living  for  to 
take  such  a  rush  as  that;  but,  Hiram,"  I  said,  -turning 
to  the  guide,  "  I  thought  we  should  smash  on  that  big 
yellow  rock  in  the  middle  of  the  current,  I  saw  it  before 
we  reached  it  and  clenched  my  teeth,  awaiting  the  shock." 

"  No  trouble,"  he  replied,  as  he  handed  me  my  rod, 
"there  was  good  six  inches  of  water  over  it,  though  it 
showed  plain  enough  on  account  of  its  color;  the  river 
is  raised  very  high." 

"Yes,"  added  William,  "the  rain  must  have  been  very 
heavy  up  country,  for  the  water  is  still  rising,"  and  he 
pointed  to  the  beach,  which  was  slowly  being  submerged. 

Frere  waded  out  to  a  point  near  the  head  of  a  pool 
and  began  casting. 

1  took  my  position  at  the  lower  end  of  the  beach, 
and  covered  all  the  water  within  my  reach ;  my  fly  was 
a  large-sized  silver  doctor,  and  a  bright  one  at  that ;  for 
an  ordinary  fly  would  have  been  of  little  value  in  such 
deep,  dark  water. 


o* 


454  With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera. 

Frere  was  using  a  large  bright  fly  also,  and  his  posi- 
tion enabled  him  to  place  it  over  all  the  best  spots  in 
the  pool.  •  But  he  failed  to  obtain  a  single  response  to 
his  persistent  efforts. 

Hiram,  who  had  gone  down  to  the  lower  end  of  the 
pool,  after  examining  the  water  a  few  seconds,  beckoned 
to  me,  and  I  immediately  joined  him. 

"Be  very  easy,"  he  said,  "but  I  think  if  you  can 
get  your  fly  over  in  the  eddy  beyant  that  big  rock  near 
the  other  shore,  we'll  get  a  rise ;  there's  salmon  there, 
sure,  and  I  don't  believe  there  are  any  at  the  head,  the 
water  is  too  strong  there." 

1  waded  in  as  far  as  I  could,  and  getting  out  a  long 
line,  soon  by  good  fortune  dropped  my  fly  exactly  in  the 
spot  Hiram  had  indicated,  and  in  an  instant  was  fast  to 
a  large  fish. 

"Good,  by  all  the  powers!"  exclaimed  the  guide,  as 
the  salmon  darted  to  the  upper  end  of  the  pool,  taking 
out  fifty  yards  of  line  with  electric  speed,  "you've  got 
something  to  attend  to  now,  sure,"  and  lighting  his  in- 
evitable pipe  he  went  to  the  canoe  for  the  gaff. 

Frere  took  in  his  line  at  once,  and  returned  to  the 
canoe,  and  standing  his  rod  against  a  stump  near  by, 
watched  for  the  coming  fight. 

It  began  without  delay.     The  salmon,   making  a  mag- 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  455 

nificent  leap,  throwing  himself  at  least  four  feet  in  the 
air,  started  as  soon  as  he  struck  the  water  on  a  series 
of  turns  and  runs  to  every  corner  of  the  pool ;  he  was 
silvery -bright  and  evidently  just  up  from  the  sea.  My 
big  reel  sang  a  merry  tune  as  the  fish  darted  from  one 
side  to  the  other,  and  1  had  a  busy  time  recovering  the 
line  as  rapidly  as  I  could  amid  the  fierce  rushes  of  the 
salmon. 

The  pace  the  fish  had  gone  soon  told  upon  him,  the 
strong  current  and  the  strain  of  my  rod  brought  him  to 
a  sober  mood,  and  he  settled  in  the  deepest  water  at  the 
base  of  the  upper  rapids,  and  indicated  a  desire  to  rest. 
It  was  not  my  purpose,  however,  to  allow  him  an  oppor- 
tunity to  recover  his  "wind;"  we  had  before  us  a  long 
run  down  to  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  quite  a  number 
of  good  pools  to  fish,  and  time  must  not  be  wasted.  I 
reeled  in  my  line,  therefore,  as  rapidly  as  possible,  and 
soon  had  the  rod  bearing  upon  the  fish.  The  water  was 
uncomfortably  cold,  and  I  left  my  position  for  a  dryer 
one  on  the  beach. 

The  salmon,  when  the  rod  began  to  lift,  became  un- 
easy, and  he  soon  showed  himself  above  the  surface,  giv- 
ing several  fierce  leaps,  and  then  darting  about  in  all 
directions.  Fortunately  the  pool  was  clear  of  drift  stuff, 
and  the  fight,  barring  accidents  to  tackle,  promised  me 


With    Fly  -Rod    and    Camera. 


success.       After    another   series   of  wild    runs    and    plunges 

1  O 

at  the  upper  part  of  the  pool,  he  at  length  changed  his 
quarters  and  clung  more  to  the  lower  end. 

I  now  began  to  feel  anxious  ;  for  in  the  event  of 
his  running  out  of  the  pool  into  the  rapids  below,  no 
tackle  could  save  him,  for  there  was  a  clear  run  of  a 
half  mile  of  wild  water  below  us,  and  our  heavily-laden 
canoe  could  not  follow  him  safely  and  successfully  to  the 
next  lower  pool. 

Three  times  did  he  approach  the  verge  as  if  to  dart 
down  the  stream,  and  as  many  times  did  he  return  to 
the  deeper  water  again  ;  evidently  he  had  no  relish  for 
testing  the  tumbling,  roaring  mass  of  water  in  the  rapids, 
attached  as  he  was  to  a  clog  that  could  not  be  shaken  off. 

At  length  he  moved  into  the  eddy  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  stream  where  he  had  first  risen,  and  sinking 
to  the  bottom,  he  became  as  immovable  as  a  rock.  No 
effort  of  mine  could  stir  him  ;  nothing  I  could  do,  no 
possible  strain  that  I  could  put  on  the  rod  that  the  cast- 
ing line  would  bear  could  put  him  in  motion  again;  and 
for  a  full  quarter  of  an  hour  1  was  obliged  to  wait  upon 
his  royal  pleasure.  Hiram  finally  threw  several  stones  into 
the  water  above  him,  and  even  the  disfirbance  they  made 
did  not  move  him. 

I    now  became    nervous,    for    one    can   never  tell   what 


Fly  -Rod    and    Camera.  457 


mischief  a  salmon  is  studying,  and  finally  told  the  guides 
they  had  better  go  over  in  the  canoe  and  stir  him  up 
with  the  setting  pole,  this  being  always  my  last  resource 
when  all  other  means  fail  to  move  a  sulking  fish. 

In  a  few  seconds  the  canoe  was  floating  over  the 
eddy,  and,  standing  in  the  bow,  William  thrust  his  pole 
down  its  full  length  into  the  water.  With  a  wild  rush 
the  salmon  left  his  lurking  place  and  darted  out  to  the 
middle  of  the  pool,  where  he  gave  three  leaps  in  as  many 
seconds  ;  then  rushing  to  the  head  he  gave  another  leap 
and  sank  to  the  bottom  again. 

There,  however,  he  did  not  long  remain,  for  the  cur- 
rent was  too  strong  for  him,  and  down  the  pool  he  came 
again,  leaping  and  darting  about  as  if  but  just  hooked. 

Frere,  who  was  standing  beside  me,  exclaimed,  "  Upon 
my  word,  you  have  the  gamiest  fish  in  the  river!" 

"You  are  right,"  I  replied,  as  I  handled  the  reel  with 
the  utmost  speed,  "he  is  game  all  through;  it's  lucky  he's 
well  hooked." 

"It  is,"  replied  my  friend,  "but  you  cannot  be  too 
careful  ;  it  is  nearly  half  an  hour  since  we  struck  him, 
and  nine  chances  out  of  ten  the  hook  will  drop  out  if 
he  gets  a  soft  slack  in  the  line." 

"I  know  it,"  I  answered,  "and  I  begin  to  wish  the 
gaff  were  in  him." 


458  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

The  salmon  now  turned  for  the  rapids  at  the  foot 
of  the  pool,  as  if  he  were  determined  to  run  down  the 
stream,  but  the  canoe  was  fortunately  lying  just  in  the 
right  position  to  head  him  off,  and  the  guides  seeing  him 
coming,  pounded  and  splashed  the  water  with  their  poles 
to  turn  him  back.  The  tumult  they  created  had  the  de- 
sired effect,  and  back  he  went  to  the  head  again. 

Once  more  I  reeled  in  my  line  and  put  the  strain 
upon  the  rod.  The  fish  responded  at  once,  and  darting 
down  the  pool  again,  ended  the  fight  in  a  way  that  was 
to  me  most  novel,  and  to  the  fish  most  summary ;  for, 
as  he  passed  down  the  pool,  leaping  four  times  in  suc- 
cession, he  fell  in  his  fourth  leap  plump  into  the  canoe J 

As  quick  as  a  flash  William  dropped  his  setting  pole 
and  seized  upon  the  fish,  which  had  fortunately  slid  be- 
neath one  of  the  cross  bars,  and  at  that  instant  the  hook 
dropped  from  its  hold ! 

"  Doctor,  it's  against  all  rules  of  the  river  to  land  a 
fish  in  such  a  manner,"  exclaimed  Frere,  laughingly,  as 
the  canoe  slid  upon  the  beach. 

"Ah,  ha,   Mr.   Frere,"  said    Hiram,   "I   know  it's  against 
the  rules,   but  did  you  ever  see  the  like  of  that  before?" 

"No,"  replied  my  friend,  "all  my  experience  with  sal- 
mon has  shown  that  they  are  not  at  all  anxious  to  get 
into  the  canoe." 


With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera.  459 

"Sure,  he  jumped  in  none  too  soon,"  said  William, 
who  had  killed  the  fish  and  laid  it  into  the  canoe,  "he 
parted  company  with  the  hook  as  soon  as  he  got  aboard." 

It  was  a  handsome  fish  of  full  sixteen  pounds'  weight, 
and  was  as  bright  as  burnished  silver. 

"Well,  gentlemen,"  said  Hiram,  after  the  salmon  had 
been  weighed  and  then  placed  in  the  bow  of  the  canoe 
under  some  green  leaves  and  brakes,  "what  shall  it  be, 
try  here  for  another,  or  move  down  to  the  next  pool?" 

"What  do  you  say,  Frere?"  I  asked,  filling  my  pipe 
for  a  fly  smudge. 

"Perhaps  we  had  better  move  down,"  he  replied,  "we 
have  a  number  of  good  pools  ahead,  and  the  commotion 
we  have  kicked  up  here  will  spoil  this  for  an  hour,  at 
least." 

"All  right,"  I  answered,  stepping  into  the  canoe. 
"  Hiram,  we  will  fish  all  the  good  water  down  to  the 
third  pool,  where  we  will  -take  dinner  and  cast  for  a 
couple  of  hours,  and  then  run  down  to  the  mouth  so  as 
to  get  to  the  hotel  before  dark." 

Frere,  followed  by  the  guides,  joined  me  in  the  birch, 
and  soon  we  were  again  in  the  rapids,  rushing  down  the 
steep  incline  with  almost  the  speed  of  the  salmon.  Be- 
fore us  for  a  good  half  mile  the  river,  in  nearly  a  straight 
direction,  presented  the  appearance  of  a  hillside  covered 


460  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

more  or  less  with  ice  and  snow,  and  it  would  have  taken 
but  a  slight  stretch  of  the  imagination  to  fancy  we  were 
tobogganing.  Rocks  and  trees  on  the  shore  seemed  to 
approach  and  then  pass  us  with  the  speed  of  thought, 
and  in  a  very  brief  time  we  descried  the  ledge  and  bend 
in  the  river,  which  marked  the  position  of  the  next  pool. 
Just  before  reaching  it  Frere  pointed  to  a  cove  above  the 
pool,  into  which  the  canoe  was  guided,  and  we  stepped 
out  upon  the  rocks  and  prepared  for  casting. 

The  water  was  very  high,  and  it  covered  points  which 
were,  when  we  ascended  the  river,  high  and  dry ;  but  the 
pool  was  very  wide,  and  consequently  there  were  many 
shoal  places,  and,  casting  across  these  to  their  further 
edges,  we  soon  found  there  were  a  good  many  fish  lying 
in  the  yellow  water ;  for  Frere  at  his  third  cast  hooked 
a  small  eight-pound  salmon,  and  I,  at  almost  the  same 
moment,  struck  a  grilse.  After  a  short  fight  both  our 
fish  were  saved,  and  in  a  very  brief  time  five  more  grilse 
fell  to  our  rods,  three  of  them  being  taken  by  Frere.  In 
addition  to  these  we  took  a  large  number  of  fresh-run  sea 
trout,  the  handsomest  we  had  seen,  and  for  an  hour  at 
least  had  the  liveliest  sport  we  had  found  on  the  river. 
At  length  the  fish  ceased  rising,  and  packing  our  catch  in 
the  canoe  we  re-embarked,  and  sped  on  our  way  down  to 
the  third  pool,  fishing  all  the  intervening  good  water  with 


462  With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera. 

varying  success,  and  sliding  down  the  rapids  with  the  zest 
and  enjoyment  of  school  boys  out  on  a  coasting  frolic. 

Fishing  would  to  me  lose  its  principal  attractions,  its 
sweetest  aroma  —  if  such  an  expression  may  be  used  —  if 
it  were  divested  of  the  accompaniments  of  such  experi- 
ences and  surroundings  as  I  find  on  the  streams  and  lakes 
of  the  wilderness. 

I  cannot  conceive  of  enjoyment  being  found -by  the 
fly-fisherman  away  from  the  forest,  the  glorious  mountains, 
the  roar  of  falls  and  rapids,  the  freedom  of  camp  life, 
and  the  various  other  concomitants  of  the  angler's  out- 
ings. I  agree  with  my  good  friend  A.  N.  Cheney  that 
there  would  be  nothing  attractive  in  it,  "if  it  were  all 
of  fishing  to  fish ;  if  fish  were  only  to  be  obtained  in 
pools  in  a  desert  waste  that  never  reflected  leaf  or  twig; 
from  walled-in  reservoirs,  where  fish  are  fattened  like  a 
bullock  for  the  shambles ;  from  sluggish,  muddy  streams 
within  the  hearing  of  great  towns,  redolent  of  odors  that 
are  bred  and  disseminated  where  humanity  is  massed  be- 
tween walls  of  brick  and  mortar,  or  even  from  a  perfect 
fish  preserve,  where  everything  is  artificial  except  the 
water." 

No,  under  such  conditions  the  gentle  art  would  have 
no  followers  save  the  butchers  and  market  fishermen,  and 
all  the  charm,  all  the  poetry  of  angling  would  be  effaced. 


With    Fly-Rod   and    Camera.  463 

How  beautifully  Dr.  Henshall  says:*  "The  charms 
of  fly-fishing  have  been  sung  in  song  and  story  from 
time  immemorial  by  the  poetically  gifted  devotees  of  the 
gentle  art,  who  have  embalmed  the  memory  of  its  aes- 
thetic features  in  the  living  green  of  graceful  ferns,  in 
the  sweet-scented  flowers  of  dell  and  dingle,  and  in  the 
liquid  music  of  purling  streams.  The  fly-fisher  is  a  lover 
of  Nature  pure  and  simple,  and  has  a  true  and  just  ap- 
preciation of  her  poetic  side,  though  he  may  lack  the 
artist's  skill  to  limn  her  beauties,  or  the  poet's  genius  to 
describe  them.  To  him  who  in  the  love  of  Nature  holds 
communion  with  her  visible  form,  she  speaks  a  various 
language." 

And  what  delightful  converse  she  holds  with  the  fly- 
fisher,  as  with  rod  and  reel  he  follows  the  banks  of  the 
meandering  stream,  or  wades  its  pellucid  waters,  casting 
ever  and  anon  the  gossamer  leader  and  feathery  lure  into 
the  shadowy  nooks,  below  sunny  rapids,  over  foam-flecked 
eddies  and  on  silent  pools.  She  speaks  to  him  through 
the  rustling  leaves,  murmurs  to  him  from  the  flowing 
stream,  and  sighs  to  him  in  the  summer  breeze.  She 
is  vocal  in  a  myriad  of  voices,  and  manifest  in  innumer- 
able ways.  The  fly-fisher,  with  quickened  senses,  has  an 
ear  for  every  sound,  an  eye  for  every  object,  and  is 

*  In    "Fishing   with   the    Fly." 


464  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

alive  to  every  motion.  He  hears  the  hum  of  the  bee, 
the  chirp  of  the  cricket,  the  twitter  of  the  sparrow,  the 
dip  of  the  swallow ;  he  sees  the  gay  butterfly  in  its  un- 
certain flight,  the  shadow  of  the  drifting  cloud,  the  mossy 
rock,  the  modest  violet,  the  open-eyed  daisy ;  he  is  con- 
scious of  the  passing  breeze,  of  the  mellow  sunlight,  of 
the  odors  of  the  flowers,  of  the  fragrance  of  the  fields ; 
nothing  escapes  his  keen  notice  as  he  casts  his  flies  hither 
and  yon,  in  the  eager  expectation  of  a  rise.  Yes,  to  the 
true  angler  before  all  others  — 

"There    is    a    pleasure    in    the    pathless    woods, 
There    is    a    rapture   by    the    lonely   shore." 

Listen  to  this  poetic  gem  from  our  genial  friend 
Cheney.  He  says:* 

"To  an  angler  the  pleasures  of  the  rod  and  reel 
are  far-reaching,  and  have  no  boundary  save  when  the 
mind  ceases  to  anticipate  and  the  brain  to  remember. 
I  have  had  the  grandest  sport  on  a  midwinter's  night 
with  the  snow  piled  high  outside  and  the  north  wind 
roaring  down  the  chimney  while  I  sat  with  my  feet  to 
the  blaze  on  the  hearth,  holding  in  my  hand  an  old  fly- 
book. 

"The  smoke  from  my  lighted  pipe,  aided  by  imag- 
ination, contained  rod,  fish,  creel,  odorous  balsam,  droop- 

*  In    "Fishing    with    the    Fly." 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  465 

ing  hemlock  and  purling  brook  or  ruffled  lake.  I  seemed 
to  hear  the  twittering  birds,  leaves  rustled  by  the  wind, 
and  the  music  of  running  water,  while  the  incense  of 
wild  flowers  saluted  my  nostrils.  The  heat  of  the  fire 
was  but  the  warm  rays  of  the  sun,  and  the  crackle  of 
the  burning  wood  the  noise  of  the  forest.  Thus  streams 
that  I  have  fished  once  or  twice  have  been  fished  a  score 
of  times. 

"I  had  nothing  to  show  for  the  later  fishing,  but  I 
could  feel  that  God  was  good  and  my  memory  unim- 
paired. The  fish  in  the  pipe  smoke  has  been  as  active 
as  was  the  fish  in  the  water,  and  afforded  as  fine  play. 
My  reel  clicked  as  merrily,  and  my  rod  bent  to  the  play 
of  the  fish  in  the  half -dream  as  they  did  in  the  long 
ago." 

Yes,  there  is  no  recreation  that  ministers  to  the  po- 
etic in  our  nature  as  does  the  art  of  angling  with  the 
fly-rod,  and  there  is  nothing  that,  to  me,  gives  such  pure, 
innocent  and  healthful  enjoyment. 

It  is  over  thirty  years  since  I  killed  my  first  large 
fish  on  the  fly.  During  the  period  that  has  elapsed  since 
then,  angling  has  been  my  chief  recreation,  yet  I  have 
never  regretted  one  moment  of  the  time  I  have  devoted 
to  it. 

Is  there  any  other 'pastime  that  could  have   given    me 


466  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

such  unalloyed  satisfaction  ?  Assuredly  not ;  and  I  repeat, 
there  is  absolutely  nothing  that  can  afford  such  complete 
and  perfect  pleasure  as  can  the  fly-rod.  Not  necessarily 
from  the  large  number  of  fish  that  are  taken.  Your  true 
sportsman  never  kills  more  than  can  be  used  to  good  ad- 
vantage for  human  food. 

Dr.  Henshall  well  says  of  this  trait:  "The  true  fly- 
fisher,  who  practices  his  art  con  amore,  does  not  "delight 
in  big  catches,  nor  revel  in  undue  and  cruel  slaughter. 
He  is  ever  satisfied  with  a  moderate  creel,  and  is  con- 
tent with  the  scientific  and  skillful  capture  of  a  few  good 
fish.  The  beauties  of  nature,  as  revealed  in  his  surround- 
ings—  the  sparkling  water,  the  shadow  and  sunshine,  the 
rustling  leaves,  the  song  of  birds  and  hum  of  insects,  the 
health-giving  breeze  —  make  up  to  him  a  measure  of  true 
enjoyment  and  peace  and  thankfulness,  that  is  totally  un- 
known to  the  slaughterer  of  the  innocents,  whose  sole  am- 
bition is  to  fill  his  creel  and  record  his  captures  by  the 
score." 

Forgive  my  digression,  it  is  almost  an  unpardonable 
one ;  but  the  memory  of  the  forest  and  stream  opened 
the  flood  gates  so  widely  that  I  could  not  repress  the 
stream. 

On  reaching  the  third  pool,  we  landed  on  the  point 
of  beach  above  the  rapids  at  the  head  of  the  pool,  and, 


468  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

while  the  guides  busied  themselves  in  preparing  dinner, 
Frere  and  I  began  casting.  The  water  was  very  high, 
and  the  beach  was  reduced  to  a  narrow  strip,  but  some 
of  the  best  casting  stands  were  uncovered,  and  our  flies 
reached  all  the  choice  water  of  the  pool.  Our  success 
was  small,  however,  a  single  grilse  and  a  few  sea  trout 
only  rewarding  our  efforts.  Undoubtedly  there  were  many 
fish  in  the  basin,  but  we  could  not  persuade  them  to  come 
to  our  lures,  and  the  announcement  "dinner  is  ready" 
from  Hiram  met  from  us  with  a  quick  and  glad  response. 

The  guides  had  lavished  special  effort  upon  it,  and, 
although  it  was  marred  somewhat  by  the  recollection  that 
a  year,  at  least,  must  elapse  before  we  could  enjoy  an- 
other such  repast,  we  did  full  justice  to  the  viands  be- 
fore us. 

After  the  dinner  came  our  customary  smoke,  and  then 
the  rod  was  resumed ;  but  alas,  our  success  was  measured 
by  only  a  few  small  trout,  which  we  returned  to  the  water 
without  delay,  and  after  a  fruitless  hour  had  been  spent, 
we  entered  the  canoe  for  our  final  spin  down  the  river. 
The  water  was  so  deep  now  that  sunken  rocks  had  no 
terrors  for  us,  and  we  passed  down  the  rough  places  with 
a  dash  which  under  other  circumstances  would  have  been 
reckless.  On  one  occasion,  however,  we  came  very  near 
having  a  serious  accident. 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  469 

The  canoe  had  been  for  a  distance  of  twenty  rods 
or  more  close  to  the  shore,  in  order  that  the  deepest  water 
might  be  availed  of,  and  a  number  of  jagged,  uncomforta- 
ble-looking rocks  and  boulders  which  lay  in  the  middle 
of  the  river  might  be  avoided.  As  we  swept  rapidly  un- 
der a  dead  cedar,  which  hung  over  the  stream,  my  line, 
which  had  got  loose  in  some  inexplicable  way,  caught  in 
the  limbs  of  the  tree,  and  at  that  instant  the  fly,  leap- 
ing backward,  fastened  itself  in  the  collar  of  Hiram's  flan- 
nel shirt,  within  a  half  inch  of  his  throat ;  fortunately  the 
hook  did  not  touch  his  skin,  but  the  line  went  out  at  a 
fearful  speed,  the  reel  shrieking  discordantly. 

Of  course  the  canoe  could  not  be  stopped  in  such  a 
current,  and  I  expected  to  see  the  rod  smashed  to  pieces. 
I  was  powerless,  but  Hiram,  standing  firmly  in  the  stern 
of  the  canoe,  cool  and  collected  as  if  nothing  had  hap- 
pened, holding  the  darting  birch  in  her  course  in  the 
swift  and  treacherous  water,  seized  the  casting  line  with 
his  teeth,  and  bit  it  through  as  easily  as  if  it  had  been 
a  cotton  thread.  The  line  thus  released  soon  came  back 
to  me,  and  I  put  it  on  the  reel  again  without  any  loss 
of  time. 

"That  was  a  close  call,  Hiram,"  said  I;  "if  you  had 
lost  your  balance  we  should  have  been  smashed  on  the 
rocks." 


470  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

"No  trouble,"  he  replied,  laughing,  "William  could 
have  kept  her  right.  I'll  give  you  your  fly  when  we 
reach  the  pool  below." 

"No,"  I  answered,  "keep  it  as  a  souvenir  of  our  last 
day  on  the  river.'' 

"And  a  remembrance,  also,"  added  Frere,  "of  a  close 
shave  to  a  bad  accident." 

"All  right!"  said  Hiram,  as  he  guided  the  canoe  to 
the  rocks  at  the  head  of  the  first  pool,  "I'll  keep  it  choice 
till  next  season." 

"And  now  for  a  salmon!"  exclaimed  William,  as  Frere 
put  out  his  line  and  began  casting,  "this  is  the  last 
chance." 

"Yes,  it's  your  last  chance,  Frere,"  said  I,  taking  a 
seat  upon  a  rock  and  watching  him,  "I  will  be  'a  looker- 
on  in  Vienna.'" 

Frere  handled  his  rod  with  consummate  skill,  and  sent 
his  fly  away  down  the  pool  to  the  quiet  water  until  it  was 
almost  lost  to  sight;  .but  no  response  was  received,  and 
it  was  not  until  he  changed  for  a  larger  and  brighter  fly 
that  a  rise  came.  At  the  second  cast  a  salmon  accepted 
the  lure,  and  Frere's  reel  soon  gave  such  music  as  the 
angler  loves  to  hear. 

O 

"Ah,  ha!"  exclaimed  William,  as  he  seized  the  gaff, 
"I  thought  the  big  yellow  fly  would  stir  him." 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  471 

"Yes,"  said  Hiram,  "in  such  heavy  and  dark  water 
the  biggest  and  the  brightest  flies  are  the  best." 

Frere  stood  upon  a  flat  rock  at  the  head  of  the.  pool, 
its  crown  not  two  inches  above  the  rushing  water.  His 
position  was  a  perfect  one,  for  he  could  control  the  line 
all  over  the  pool,  and  the  fish  must  always  be  below  him 
and  headed  toward  him,  and  it  could  not  pass  above  him. 
It  was  an  ideal  stand  from  which  to  fight  a  salmon. 

The  fish  sank  to  the  bottom  in  the  middle  of  the  pool, 
and  remained  quiet  for  a  short  time,  but  soon  feeling  the 
restraint  of  the  hook  (and  I  have  come  to  the  belief  that 
the  fish  resent  the  restraint  they  feel,  but  do  not  suffer 
from  the  prick  of  the  hook)  it  gave  two  or  three  short 
runs,  and  then  settled  quietly  to  the  bottom  again. 

Frere,  when  he  had  recovered  all  the  line  that  he 
could  get  in,  raised  the  rod  and  endeavored  to  lift  the 
fish  into  action,  but  for  a  time  it  refused  to  budge.  At 
length,  however,  the  strain  from  the  powerful  greenheart 
proved  too  much  for  its  patience,  and  with  a  couple  of 
wild  leaps  high  in  the  air,  it  darted  down  the  pool  as 
if  about  to  return  to  the  ocean. 

"Cree-e-e!"  how  the  big  reel  sang  as  the  line  spun 
out  with  the  speed  of  electricity. 

When  the  lower  part  of  the  pool  was  reached,  how- 
ever, the  salmon  gave  another  wild  leap,  flashing  in  the 


47 2  With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera. 

air  like  a  patch  of  silver,  and  then  returned  to  its  first 
position. 

Frere  recovered  his  line  again  and  then  gave  the 
strain  of  the  rod  to  the  fish.  The  salmon  repeated  its 
previous  performance,  and  yet  once  more,  then  it  changed 
its  tactics  and  began  jiggering —  that  most  hateful  of  all 
performances.  Even  the  lift  of  Frere's  long  rod  proved 
ineffectual  for  a  while  in  restraining  this  movement,  and 
it  was  only  after  we  pelted  the  water  above  it  with  huge 
stones  that  it  moved  again.  A  heavy  rock  falling  with 
a  crash  above  it  at  length  turned  the  salmon,  and  then 
began  one  of  the  most  exciting  struggles  that  I  had  ever 
witnessed. 

The  fish  seemed  to  be  in  a  half  dozen  places  at 
once,  and  in  the  air  almost  as  much  as  in  the  water. 
Darting  to  the  foot  of  the  pool  it  gave  a  wild  leap,  and 
then  returning  to  the  head,  dashed  the  water  in  our  faces 
as  it  leaped  close  to  us  as  we  stood  upon  the  rocks. 
Now  it  was  burrowing  in  the  shale  and  sand  at  the  bar 
in  the  outlet  of  the  pool,  and  seemingly  in  an  instant 
was  working  a  devious  passage  among  the  rocks  on  the 
further  side. 

Frere  was  cool  and  undemonstrative,  handling  his 
long;  and  heavy  rod  and  manipulating  his  reel  with  all 
the  skill  of  which  he  was  a  master.  For  nearly  a  half 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  473 

an  hour  did  the  struggle  continue  before  the  fish  showed 
any  signs  of  exhaustion,  and  then  it  "broke  up  all  at 
once,"  as  William  afterward  said,  and  in  less  than  a  min- 
ute after  it  had  shown  the  first  symptoms  of  weariness, 
the  gaff  was  in  it  and  the  salmon  was  killed.  It  is 
rarely  that  so  large  a  salmon  will  "force  the  pace"  as 
this  had  done,  and  it  was  a  vigorous  fish  indeed  to 
carry  such  a  struggle  so  long  in  such  heavy  water. 

"What  is  the  weight?"  I  asked,  as  Frere  fastened 
the  scales  to  the  fish. 

"Twenty-two    pounds,"    he    replied. 

"Good,"  I  exclaimed;  "for  so  large  a  fish  it  was 
the  most  lively  specimen  I  ever  saw ;  it  seemed  almost 
tireless,  and  it  was  all  over  the  pool  like  a  huge  grilse." 

"Won't  you  have  a  cast  for  one?"  asked  Hiram,  as 
he  handed  me  my  rod.  "Try  for  the  last  one." 

"No,  Hiram,"  I  replied,  selecting  a  fly  and  attach- 
ing it  to  my  leader,  "I  have  had  my  full  share  of  fish- 
ing this  trip,  thanks  largely  to  your  efforts,  but  I  want 
you  to  have  another  chance,  and  now  you  can  take  it." 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  replied  the  guide,  "I  will  rest  the 
pool  a  bit  and  then  see  what  I  can  do." 

"Yes,  and  here  is  my  rod,  William,"  said  Frere,  "you 
have  worked  hard  also,  and  I  want  you  to  have  one  more 
chance  before  we  say  good-by." 


474  With    Fly-Rod    and    Camera. 

"Thanks,"  answered  the  guide,  "it's  not  always  that 
we  see  two  gentlemen  who  are  willing  to  give  their  guides 
a  little  sport  on  their  last  day,  hey,  Hiram?" 

"Right  you  are,"  replied  his  brother,  "we'll  have  a 
few  casts  anyway;  who'll  fish  first,  you  or  I?" 

"You  take  your  first  chance,"  said  William,  "then  I 
will  try  my  luck." 

"All  right,"  responded  the  other,  and  as  a  prelimi- 
nary move  he  lighted  his  pipe,  after  which  he  soon  pre- 
pared to  cast. 

Beautifully  he  laid  out  a  long  line  all  over  the  pool. 
Not  a  splash  indicated  the  fall  of  the  fly,  but  it  dropped 
like  a  feather,  here  and  there,  wherever  the  guide  sent 
it.  At  length  a  swirl  was  seen,  and  Hiram,  turning  his 
wrist,  was  in  an  instant  fast  to  a  fish.  The  salmon 
dashed  down  the  pool,  endeavoring  to  escape  from  the 
incumbrance  that  was  fastened  to  him. 

"Bravo,"  I  exclaimed,  "kill  him  if  you  can  and  take 
him  home  for  to-morrow's  dinner." 

"Thanks,    sir,"    replied    the    guide,    "I'll   do   my  best." 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  describe  the  struggle  that 
ensued,  for  a  further  repetition  of  such  details  will  make 
a  wearisome  ending  to  my  story.  Suffice  it  to  say  that 
the  fight  was  fought,  and  the  fish,  a  twelve -pound  fe- 
male, was  finally  landed. 


With    Fly -Rod   and    Camera,  475 

"Now,  William,  it's  your  turn;  show  your  mettle,"  ex- 
claimed Frere. 

"All  right,  sir,"  said  the  guide,  "we'll  rest  the  pool 
a  while,  and  then  I'll  try  a  few  casts  from  the  other 
side,  we  have  made  too  much  disturbance  here." 

In  a  short  time  William  stepped  into  the  canoe  with 
Hiram,  and  crossing  the  river  above  the  rapids  climbed 
along  the  edge  of  the  ledge  for  a  few  rods,  and  then 
descending  to  the  river,  stood  upon  a  rock  that  jutted 
out  into  the  pool.  It  gave  him  barely  a  resting  place 
for  his  feet,  and  the  trees  and  bushes  behind  him  inter- 
fered sadly  with  his  back  cast.  But  with  care  and  pa- 
tience he  was  at  length  able  to  put  his  fly  in  a  little 
nook  behind  two  rocks  that  rose  above  the  water,  which 
we,  from  our  position,  could  not  possibly  have  reached. 

Notional  people  are  guides,  both  Indians  and  white 
men.  Often  have  I  seen  them  go  to  a  great  deal  of 
trouble  to  get  a  line  into  a  particular  spot ;  but  the  joke 
of  it  is,  they  usually  "get  there,"  and  prove  that  they 
get  there  for  a  prize  worth  having. 

William  had  made  no  mistake,  for  at  his  third  cast 
a  salmon  took  his  lure,  and  right  merrily  the  reel  sang 
out  the  guide's  triumph.  His  position  was  a  bad  one, 
the  point  of  rock  upon  which  he  was  standing  offering 
hardly  a  square  foot  of  surface,  and  I  shouted  to  Hiram 


With    Fly  -Rod    and    Camera. 


to  go  down  with  the  canoe  and  take  his  brother  off.  This 
was  done,  and  William  now  had  a  fair  chance  for  work. 

It  was  a  large  but  active  fish,  fresh  run,  and  he  kept 
in  motion  with  almost  untiring  energy.  The  canoe  was 
brought  over  to  the  ledge  upon  which  we  were  standing, 
and  the  guides  at  once  stepped  ashore. 

"Here,  sir,  take  the  rod,"  said  William,  offering  it  to 
Frere,  "and  kill  the  salmon." 

"Certainly  not,"  replied  my  friend,  "it's  your  fish,  and 
save  him  if  you  can." 

"All    right,    sir,"    said    the   guide,    "I'll    save    hirfk" 

The  fish-  was  larger  than  Hiram's,  but  the  struggle 
was  a  short  one,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  gaff  was  used 
and  the  salmon  was  killed. 

"And  now  for  the  hotel!"  I  exclaimed,  stepping  into 
the  canoe.  "Our  outing  is  ended;  we'll  put  by  our  rods 
for  another  season,  and  don  the  habiliments  of  civilized 
life." 

"Yes,"  said  Frere,  "we  have  had  a  royal  good  time, 
have  worked  hard,  yet  have  rested  ourselves,  and  we  are 
stronger  and  better  able  to  take  up  our  labors  again  than 
we  have  been  for  many  a  month." 


With    Fly -Rod    and    Camera.  477 

Reader,  my  story  is  told.  I  have  endeavored  to  de- 
scribe to  you  the  charms  of  an  angler's  life.  I  have  suc- 
ceeded poorly,  I  am  certain,  but  I  have  shown  how  and 
where  you  may  enjoy  them. 

To  appreciate  them  in  the  highest  degree  you  must 
go  to  them. 

Do  so ;  take  fly-rod  and  camera,  camp  outfit  and  ca- 
noe, and  seek  the  beautiful,  the  graceful,  the  gamy  deni- 
zens of  the  rivers  and  lakes ;  follow  them  in  their  wildest 
haunts,  and  my  word  for  it,  you  will  never,  never  re- 
gret it. 


Re«um  to  desk  horn  which  borrowed 


This  book  is  DUE  on 


the  last  date  stamped  below. 


LD  21- 


VE  00683 


